# Using the Mercurial version control system

> Create a Mercurial repository over SSH on your hosting account and start tracking changes to your files.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/developers/version-control/using-the-mercurial-version-control-system/

**Using the Mercurial version control system**\
Learn how to use the Mercurial version control system on Ruachost servers.

**About Mercurial**\
Mercurial is a Python-based version control system installed on all Ruachost shared servers. Like other version control systems, Mercurial allows you to track multiple revisions of files and directories.

## Creating a repository

1. Log in to your Ruachost account using SSH.
2. Create a repository by typing:

```
hg init repository
```

Replace `repository` with the name of the directory where you want to create the repository. If the directory does not exist, `hg init` will create it.

**Publishing a repository**\
You can make your Mercurial repositories accessible on the web. To do this:

1. Log in using SSH.
2. Navigate to the `cgi-bin` directory:

```
cd ~/public_html/cgi-bin
```

3. Create a file that users will access to reach the repository. Paste the following text into the file:

```
#!/usr/bin/env python
#
# An example hgweb CGI script, edit as necessary
# See also http://mercurial.selenic.com/wiki/PublishingRepositories
# Path to repo or hgweb config to serve
config = "/home/username/repository"
# Uncomment and adjust if Mercurial is not installed system-wide:
# import sys; sys.path.insert(0, "/path/to/python/lib")
# Uncomment to send python tracebacks to the browser if an error occurs:
# import cgitb; cgitb.enable()
from mercurial import demandimport; demandimport.enable()
from mercurial.hgweb import hgweb, wsgicgi
application = hgweb(config)
wsgicgi.launch(application)
```

Replace `username` with your Ruachost account username and `repository` with the path to your repository.

4. Save the file and make it executable:

```
chmod 755 filename
```

Replace `filename` with the name of the file you created.

The repository is now available on the web at:

```
http://www.example.com/cgi-bin/filename
```

Replace `example.com` with your domain name and `filename` with the file you created. To clone the repository, use:

```
hg clone http://www.example.com/cgi-bin/filename
```

## More information

- Official Mercurial website: [http://mercurial.selenic.com](http://mercurial.selenic.com/)
- Complete online tutorial: [http://hginit.com](http://hginit.com/)
- Free online book about Mercurial: <http://hgbook.red-bean.com/read>