Create Client Workspace using Perforce command-line on Ubuntu

Question

I am writing a script to build all our projects on a Ubuntu build machine.

Each project is stored in Perforce and I am using p4 to perform the above.

The command I am using is:

p4 -u <MyUsername> -P <MyPassword> client MyWorkspace

This runs and loads vim which I then need to perform a :wq [Enter] to quit from.

Can I auto-save or avoid vim loading?

Answer 1

For my builds I have a text file, which I have in perforce, containing my client. That way I know what the client looked like at that build (I don't use a spec depot).

So on unix machines:

$ cat client.txt | p4 client -i

or for windows:

type client.txt | p4 client -i

creates the client from the txt file in perforce. You can create the text by doing a p4 client -o <client_name> >client.txt and change it from there.

Answer 2

You probably want to try p4 client -i. From the help page:

The -i flag reads a client specification from the standard input. The user's editor is not invoked.

So you construct your client-spec in a script and pass it to p4 client -i. Additionally, -t could be helpful, too:

The -t flag constructs the client view by using the specified client's view and options as a template, instead of using the existing view or creating a new default view.