{"id":269,"date":"2026-10-13T06:01:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scmgalaxy.com\/tutorials\/2010\/07\/08\/clearcase-faq\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T06:01:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:01:53","slug":"clearcase-faq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/clearcase-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"Rational ClearCase FAQ: Essential cleartool Commands for Views, Branches, Labels, and Hijacked Files"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally published on 2010-07-08; fully revised and updated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you work with Rational ClearCase and need fast answers for common operational tasks, this guide is for you. Based on the original FAQ<\/a>, it consolidates high-value commands for finding view-private files, branch activity, checkouts, labels, and snapshot-view hijacked files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ClearCase<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What this FAQ helps you do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  • List view-private files and checked-out items in a view.<\/li>
  • Find files by branch, label, date, and user.<\/li>
  • Report and scope checkouts using lsco<\/code> options.<\/li>
  • Use label-focused config spec rules safely.<\/li>
  • Understand reserved vs unreserved checkout behavior.<\/li>
  • Detect and recover from snapshot-view hijacked file states.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    ClearCase command quick reference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Task<\/th>Command or action<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    List view-private and checked-out objects<\/td>cleartool ls -r -view_only<\/code><\/td>Original note says checked-out directories are not listed.<\/td><\/tr>
    Filter view-private list by pattern<\/td>cleartool ls -r -view_only | find \".java\"<\/code><\/td>Uses shell text filtering; behavior is environment-dependent.<\/td><\/tr>
    Find files on a private branch<\/td>cleartool find -all -version \"version(...\/private_branch\/LATEST)\" -print<\/code><\/td>Replace private_branch<\/code> with your branch type.<\/td><\/tr>
    Find all file elements under current directory<\/td>cleartool find . -type f -print<\/code><\/td>Recursive.<\/td><\/tr>
    Find all symlinks under current directory<\/td>cleartool find . -type l -print<\/code><\/td>Recursive.<\/td><\/tr>
    Find checkouts on a specific branch<\/td>cleartool lsco -brtype branch_name -r -l<\/code><\/td>Add -cvi<\/code> or -me<\/code> to narrow results.<\/td><\/tr>
    Show recent VOB history<\/td>ct lshistory -all -since yesterday<\/code><\/td>ct<\/code> is commonly used as a local alias for cleartool<\/code>.<\/td><\/tr>
    Find all elements with a label<\/td>cleartool find -all -version \"lbtype(MY_LABEL)\" -print<\/code><\/td>Run from within a view context.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Find files and elements in a view<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Run these in an appropriate VOB\/view context. For syntax details, the original FAQ recommends cleartool man find<\/code> and cleartool man lscheckout<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n

    cleartool ls -r -view_only\ncleartool ls -r -view_only | find \".java\"<\/span>\ncleartool find -all -version \"version(...\/private_branch\/LATEST)\"<\/span> -print<\/span>\ncleartool find . -type f -print<\/span>\ncleartool find . -type l -print<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Find checkouts and recent activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    For branch-focused checkout reporting, lsco<\/code> options change scope significantly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Option set<\/th>Scope<\/th>Typical use<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    -brtype branch_name -r -l<\/code><\/td>All matching checkouts recursively<\/td>Branch-wide audit<\/td><\/tr>
    -brtype branch_name -r -l -cvi<\/code><\/td>Current view only<\/td>View-local work review<\/td><\/tr>
    -brtype branch_name -r -l -me<\/code><\/td>Only current user<\/td>Personal cleanup before deliver\/checkin<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n
    cleartool lsco -brtype branch_name -r -l\ncleartool lsco -brtype branch_name -r -l -cvi\ncleartool lsco -brtype branch_name -r -l -me<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n
    ct lshistory -all -since 12-Jan-05\nct lshistory -all -since yesterday\nct lshistory -all -since yesterday -user mark<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Query changes by date and label<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    The original FAQ includes examples for branch\/date reporting and label-based diffs. Use branch, label, date, and user placeholders that match your naming conventions.<\/p>\n\n\n
    cleartool<\/span> find<\/span> -all<\/span> -ver<\/span> \"brtype<\/span>(test_3<\/span>.1_main<\/span>) && created_since<\/span>(12-Dec-03<\/span>.01<\/span>:00)<\/span> && !created_since<\/span>(30-Dec-03<\/span>)\" -print<\/span>\ncleartool<\/span> find<\/span> -all<\/span> -ver<\/span> \"brtype<\/span>(ep_3<\/span>.1_main<\/span>) && created_since<\/span>(12-Dec-03<\/span>.01<\/span>:00)<\/span> && !created_since<\/span>(30-Dec-03<\/span>) && created_by<\/span>(Mark<\/span>)\" -print<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n
    cleartool find -all -ver \"version(...\/integration_branch_name\/LATEST) && !lbtype(LABEL_NAME) && !version(...\/integration_branch_name\/0)\"<\/span> -print<\/span>\ncleartool find -all -ver \"lbtype(LABEL1) && !lbtype(LABEL_2)\"<\/span> -print<\/span>\ncleartool find -all -version \"lbtype(MY_LABEL)\"<\/span> -print<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Config spec example for selecting a label<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    This is the pattern shown in the original FAQ for loading labeled versions while keeping checked-out items selected first:<\/p>\n\n\n
    element * CHECKEDOUT\nelement * LABEL_NAME -nocheckout\nelement * \/main\/<\/span>0<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Interpretation:<\/strong> first select checkouts in your view, then select elements with the target label (without allowing checkout for that rule), then fall back to version zero for unmatched elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Reserved vs unreserved checkouts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    ClearCase supports both exclusive and parallel checkout models. The difference matters at checkin time when multiple developers modify the same branch successor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Checkout type<\/th>Branch rights<\/th>Checkin behavior<\/th>Team impact<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Reserved<\/td>Exclusive right to create the successor version on that branch<\/td>Competing successor creation is blocked<\/td>Safer serialization, lower parallelism<\/td><\/tr>
    Unreserved<\/td>Multiple views can checkout in parallel<\/td>First checkin creates successor; later checkins must merge<\/td>Higher parallelism, merge required for late checkins<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    Hijacked files in snapshot views<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    In snapshot views, editing a loaded file without checkout can produce a hijacked state. The original FAQ recommends using ClearCase Explorer tools to inspect, compare, keep, or discard those edits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \nflowchart TD\n    A[Run Find Modified Files or Update View] --> B{Hijacked file found}\n    B -- No --> C[Continue normal work]\n    B -- Yes --> D[Compare with original version]\n    D --> E{Keep local edits}\n    E -- Yes --> F[Check out file]\n    F --> G[Check in when ready]\n    E -- No --> H[Undo hijacked file]\n    G --> I[Update snapshot view]\n    H --> I\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    • In ClearCase Explorer, right-click the snapshot view and run Find Modified Files<\/em>.<\/li>
    • Right-click a hijacked file and use Compare with Original Version<\/em> to inspect differences.<\/li>
    • If you want to keep changes, check out the file and proceed with normal checkin flow.<\/li>
    • If you want to discard changes, use Undo Hijacked File<\/em>, then update the snapshot view.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      Checked out but removed status<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      The original FAQ describes this state as: the VOB records an element as checked out, but the corresponding view-private checked-out file is missing. One common scenario mentioned is symlink-related behavior where target and link paths share underlying storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      • Check symlink relationships first (Explorer path: Symlinks and target operations).<\/li>
      • Check in or uncheckout the symlink target element when appropriate.<\/li>
      • If not symlink-related, one recovery path is to uncheckout the element (work may be unrecoverable if no private copy exists).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
        cleartool unco path\/to\/file<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
        Common pitfalls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        • Running find<\/code> or lsco<\/code> outside the intended VOB\/view context.<\/li>
        • Assuming ct<\/code> alias exists everywhere; use full cleartool<\/code> if needed.<\/li>
        • Forgetting that user IDs can be case-sensitive in history queries.<\/li>
        • Date expressions can be locale and format sensitive; validate with a narrow test first.<\/li>
        • Using Undo Hijacked File<\/em> without backup can permanently discard local edits.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
          This revised ClearCase FAQ turns legacy notes into a practical reference for daily operations. It covers command-line queries, checkout\/reporting workflows, config spec patterns, and snapshot hijacked-file handling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[415,4311,4312,4315,4313,622,4314,4316],"class_list":["post-269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clearcase","tag-clearcase","tag-clearcase-faqs","tag-clearcase-frequently-asked-questions","tag-clearcase-general-questions-and-answers","tag-clearcase-questions-and-answers","tag-faqs","tag-rational-clearcase-faqs","tag-rational-clearcase-questions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79097,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions\/79097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}