Is there a way to know the URL of the SVN server?

Question

Right now, we are having problems allowing the client to access the svn server because of the unknown host name error. Is there an error which will tell the correct svn server URL from the server computer? Thanks.

I am on Collabnet Subversion Server and the client uses TortoiseSVN.

Answer 1

Is that a Subversion error ? It sounds more like a DNS/WINS related error if your client can't resolve your Subversion server name.

If 'ping hostname' can't resolve the hostname, then it's not a Subversion error.

Answer 2

"unknown host name error" means that for some reason you cannot access the host that you mention in the URL you are trying to use with Subversion. For example, if your URL is http://myCollabnetSubversionServerName/svn/mySuperProject/trunk then it means that you cannot reach myCollabnetSubversionServerName. Can the client computer see the myCollabnetSubversionServerName server?

Oh sorry, to also answer the question itself: Usually the URL of a repository is http:// or https:// followed by the name of the server computer if you are in a LAN, or the domain name if your server is on the Internet, maybe followed by the port your web server listens to (if it is default you don't have to put this), followed by svn, followed by the repository name.

Examples:

• http://www.mycompany.com/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk
• https://www.mycompany.com/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk
• http://www.mycompany.com:81/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk

or

• http://myserver/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk
• https://myserver/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk
• http://myserver:81/svn/myrepositoryname/trunk

Answer 3

Can you reach the server using e.g. ping?

Perhaps it helps if you use the server's IP address instead of its hostname. If you want to find out your IP address but don't know how to, you might be able to visit http://www.whatismyip.com/ from the server to find out. This is assuming your server will be accessible from the internet instead of your local network.

Answer 4

I am really skeptical if there is a way to return from the server what is the correct server URL. The solution for your unknown host name is - create an entry in hosts file on the client system for IP address mapping to the host name [SVN server name]

generally, the hosts file is located in - c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc folder and the entry needs to be made in the following format

192.168.0.1 SVNServerName

Hope this helps !