Subversion Configuration

Question

I've downloaded subversion server and client RPM's from Collabnet, and installed it. It was unpacked into opt/CollabNet_Subversion directory.

But when I try to run /bin/svn a message "this is not a working copy" is shown. I'm trying to find documentation onlyne, but it seems to be poor.

Must I make sth or run a script to configure it?

I'm a rookie in Subversion. Thanks for helping!

PS: System: Linux Suse 11.2 SVersion: 1.7.6-1

Answer 1

In order to use Subversion (or any version control software), you must:

• Create a repository that will hold your files. (You use the svnadmin create command to do that.)
• In another directory, you checkout from the repository to a working directory. You use the svn checkout command for that).
• You do your work in your working directory
• When you've completed your work, you commit or checkin your changes back into the repository. (You use the svn commit command for that).

For creating the repository, take a look at Chapter 5 of the Subversion on line manual. Then, go through chapter #1 and chapter #2 to get the basic understanding how Subversion (and version control) works and use the repository you created to help you learn how to use Subversion.

That will give you a general understanding you'll need. Once you get the basics out of the way, you can go through the rest of the book.

Answer 2

"this is not a working copy" means exactly that. You need to "checkout" a repository into a working copy before you can perform SVN operations on it. SVN can tell it is a working copy because of the .svn folder inside it.

For more info, see: Creating a Working Copy

Most of the time, you will start using a Subversion repository by performing a checkout of your project. Checking out a directory from a repository creates a working copy of that directory on your local machine. Unless otherwise specified, this copy contains the youngest (that is, most recently created or modified) versions of the directory and its children found in the Subversion repository.

I find the documentation online quite good. Give a good read to Version Control with Subversion and see if you still have questions after that.