GNUCOMM System Design Overview- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)

First time only: Create a directory in which you wish to store the repository
Change to the directory you created above

Issue the following commands

[jamest@hobbes cvs]$ cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@subversions.gnu.org:/home/cvs login
(Logging in to anoncvs@subversions.gnu.org)
CVS password: 

[jamest@hobbes cvs]$ cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@subversions.gnu.org:/home/cvs co gnucomm

You now have a local copy of the repository.