How to create repository

Question

Hi,

I have an Ubuntu Server and wanted to install subversion and set up some repositories. I used the guide at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Subversion to setup a local repository.

When I walk into the directory I'll find a README-file, which contains the following:

This is a Subversion repository; use the 'svnadmin' tool to examine it. Do not add, delete, or modify files here unless you know how to avoid corrupting the repository. Visit http://subversion.tigris.org/ for more information.

Where should I store my files or how to avoid corrupting the repository?

Best regards, Erik Persson

Answer 1

The directory is a "bare" repository, not a working copy. You need to use an svn client to checkout a local working copy. You could do this in another directory on the local file system of the server, or from another work station in the network. I'd recommend doing it locally on the server first, for simplicity, and to rule out network related problems if everything doesn't work as expected at first. When you have managed to checkout a local working copy, you can start to add files to it and commit/upload your changes to the central repository.

Answer 2

You create the repository with svnadmin create.

After that, you check it out to a different directory (Your "working copy"). If you want to check it out on the same computer, use svn checkout file:///path/to/repository.

However, if you may want to have a working computer on another computer - your laptop, or someone else's, you need to make the repository available via http or svnserve (The howto you linked describes just that) and check it out on another computer. Typically, you don't need to to ever touch your repository again. Any write will be done by svn when you commit changes.