SVN (Subversion) Tutorial

Centralized Version Control Subversion, usually called SVN, is a centralized version control system. There is a single server that holds the complete history, and users check ...

Two Pieces You need the Subversion server (svnserve or over HTTP), and client tools. On most Linux servers the subversion package provides both; on Windows the full solution ...

Create the Repository The svnadmin create command builds the repository directory with all metadata, hooks and configuration inside it. Standard Layout Adopt the ...

Checkout Checkout downloads a snapshot of a repository path into a working copy: Hidden .svn directories inside record the link back to the repository. Working Copy State Status ...

Add New Files Files become versioned only after svn add plus a commit. Commit Every commit is atomic: either all of it appears as a new revision, or none of it does. Write ...

What Branches Are For Branches let several lines of work proceed in parallel: a feature branch for a big change while trunk stays releasable, or a release branch frozen for fixes ...

Why Conflicts Happen A conflict occurs when update or merge applies remote changes to lines you already modified locally. SVN refuses to choose for you and marks the file with ...

What Are Properties SVN properties are name/value pairs attached to files and folders, written with svn propset and viewed with svn proplist. Essential Properties svn:ignore - ...

Commits Commit small, focused changes with clear messages. Itemize bullet points for multi-file commits. Never commit generated files; use svn:ignore. Commit early and often to ...

Q: What is a working copy? A: A local directory linked to a repository URL. Checkout creates it, update syncs it with other people's commits, and commit publishes your local ...