Version control systems are software applications used to manage changes to digital documents, computer programs, and web sites. In this article, we’ll use Linux to set up an SVN version control system.
Subversion (SVN) is an open source version control system. It can be used to store one or more versions of a codebase, track changes to them over time, and help coordinate interactions between developers working on the same project. SVN is beneficial for development teams, as it helps them to organise their code and easily collaborate, backup and keep track of their progress.
To get started, you’ll need a Linux machine, either a physical or a virtual one. You’ll also need to install the Subversion software on the machine. On most Linux distributions, you can install Subversion from the package manager.
Once the installation is complete, create a repository on the server. This will be the place where all the project files and their versions will be stored. On the server, create a directory for this purpose and run the “svnadmin” command:
$ svnadmin create /repositories
Next, you’ll need to import data into the repository. This is done using the “svn import” command. Here’s an example of importing a project located in the “myproject” directory:
$ svn import ./myproject file:///repositories -m “Initial import”
Once the import is finished, the project is ready to be checked out. To get the project, use the “svn checkout” command. Here’s an example of checking out a project from the “myproject” repository:
$ svn checkout file:///repositories/myproject
Now you’re ready to start working with SVN. To do this, use the “svn add”, “svn delete” and “svn commit” commands. When changes are made to files in the working copy, the user can “svn add” the modified files and then “svn commit” them to the repository. The “svn delete” command is used to remove files from the repository.
Once the project is done, you can also export the project with the “svn export” command. This will make a clean copy of the project with all the existing files.
In this article, we’ve covered how to use Linux to set up an SVN version control system. You should now have an understanding of how the Subversion software works and how to use the various commands for working with the repository. SVN can be a useful tool for developers working on the same project, as it helps to track and coordinate changes between them.