Problem with setting up CVS Server under Linux

I am trying to set up CVS on a Linux server (Mandrake 8.1) I installed the repository in usr/local/cvsroot. I am able to import to the server from my other system (W2K) and I am able to do a checkout of the entire CVS back to that system. The files all moved over properly and when they came back I was able to take them and compile them. However, whenever I try to do a commit I get an error saying that the repository at /usr/local/cvsroot was not found. If I try to checkout twice from the same repository the second time every file comes up red and the system informs me that I need to move the files that are already there out of the way.
The files are not coming over as read-only (I checked) and at the end of the 2nd attempt I get the same error message that the repository was not found (pretty strange since it tried to move the files from the repository it couldn't find to my machine a second time!)

I have tried both pserver and ssh without success. With pserver I am getting a successful login message.

the version is the one that came with the system 1.11.1p1 (I think)

Any ideas would be appreciated. I am not a Linux person so spoon feed any replies. Thanks.