Even in projects with just one developer, a good structure can save many hours of work, and for distributed projects with multiple developers it can be almost life-saving. Since it is based on GNU Autoconf, installation is quick and easy. Like similar projects, Aegis has one central archive, the so-called repository. The repository contains all versions of the project since its start so one can easily go back to older versions or simultaneously develop two different branches of the project. The repository is never changed directly.
Developers create local source trees to work on.
Aegis is built around keeping the current versions running and as bug free as possible, so each Change Set incorporates at least one test. By also tracking dependencies of source files in the repository, Aegis can suggest test programs that make sense with the new Change Set. A Change Set is accepted only if the the included tests and a build succeed. In order to finally become part of the repository it needs to be reviewed and signed off once. This may sound a tad complicated but it does have certain advantages.