Best Subversion setup for us?

Question

I'm looking for advice on the best subversion package for our situation.

Currently I am the only developer on the team. We may add one in the future. I work with a designer and QA staff.

We are a Windows shop. Currently not running Windows server but may in the future. We run XP Pro as a file server. Most likely we will host this in-house.

The few people I have spoke with about version control all said subversion was the way to go. Simple setup, popular, easier to use, and integrates well within VS.

1. Is Subversion a good choice?
2. Which server package and version should we download and install?
3. Which cllent do you recommend for integrating within VS 2005 / 2008?

Answer 1

Well, Subversion is a very good choice because it can handle more than enough for your situation. It is very scalable as you grow, so you won't have too much issues there. It is also open source, so software overhead cost is practically zero.

For a client to integrate with VS 2005/2008, I recommend AnkhSVN, mainly because it is the free solution. However, for a more friendly version with a stand alone app, you should also use TortoiseSVN. The two work very well with each other. VisualSVN is another VS integration, but it's not free. However, it is more stable because it runs off the Tortoise platform.

Answer 2

I would recommend going with Subversion and then get TortoiseSVN for your windows platforms, it integrates fairly easy.

Then I would suggest looking into VisualSVN - Subversion integration for Visual Studio .NET 2003, 2005 & 2008 http://www.visualsvn.com/visualsvn/

Answer 3

Is Subversion a good choice?

Yes. Even though git is all the rage.

Which server package and version should we download and install?

The latest one.

Which cllent do you recommend for integrating within VS 2005 / 2008?

http://www.visualsvn.com/, although you should experiment.

Answer 4

1. Subversion is excellent.
2. VisualSVN Server does a stand-alone Subversion server installation for Windows machines. It runs on it's own port with it's own web server. Most all of the subversion configuration and what-not is abstracted away. VisualSVN Server is free.
3. VisualSVN is a good non-free choice for Visual Studio integration. It works so well I haven't even tried others.
4. Get TeamCity for a build server. It should be free for your needs, and integrates nicely with subversion servers. It even does builds straight off of your VS project files.

I first read about this mostly free setup on Rob Conery's blog.