Do Subversion client/server versions need to be the same or close to each other?

Question

This seems like a basic question, but I haven't found any clear answers. Essentially, we have a subversion 1.4 server with 1.5 clients. What I'd like to know is if we want to use some of the 1.5 features like branch/merge tracking, does the server need to be at least 1.5 also?

I have read that 1.5 clients will sometimes auto-upgrade the repository to 1.5, but does that happen if the server is running an older version? We use the svn:// protocol, so I would imagine the server needs to be kept reasonably up-to-date. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!

Answer 1

The client will auto-upgrade the checkout of the repository on the client machine, as far as I understand. This means that you cannot use a 1.4 client to interact with a 1.5-modified checkout, but we have people here using 1.5 clients with a 1.4 server. To use the new 1.5 features you will need a 1.5 server, however.

Also, I believe they're up to 1.6 now.

Answer 2

The release notes for v1.5 answer this question. It explains in detail which features are usable with each client/server combination.

Answer 3

The problem tends to be your local repository when you are using two different clients. I've had a lot of times where they are slightly off and the newer one will upgrade your repository then the older client can no longer read it.

Happens on Windows if you use the turtle.