This guide will show you how to install a Subversion (SVN) server with Uniform Server. This guide assumes that you have a clean installation of Uniform Server running currently and do not have another version of Apache installed on your PC.

Installing SVN

  1. Download the latest Win32 SVN binaries from here. This guide uses the .exe Installer provided there.
  2. After installing / unpacking it, copy the contents of its httpd folder (usually C:\Program Files\Subversion\httpd) into Apache's module directory (Uniform Server's default is W:\usr\local\Apache2\modules)
  3. Copy libdb42.dll from the bin folder into the same module directory.

Apache Module Configuration

  1. Edit Apache's configuration files (W:\usr\local\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf) and uncomment (remove the # from) this line if it is commented:
    LoadModule dav_module modules/mod_dav.so
  2. Next find:
    LoadModule dav_fs_module modules/mod_dav_fs.so
    and add this below it:
    LoadModule dav_svn_module modules/mod_dav_svn.so

LoadModule authz_svn_module modules/mod_authz_svn.so

Configuring SVN

  1. Create an empty folder (I used W:\svn), which will used as repository root.
  2. Create another empty folder (for example W:\svn\test) in your repository root.
  3. Open the Command Prompt (or MS-DOS Prompt in Win 9x), cd into your repository root. Execute:
    svnadmin create --fs-type bdb test
    or
    svnadmin create --fs-type fsfs test
    Note: test is the folder you created (under your repository root) earlier in Step #2; for more info on which fs-type to choose, read Chapter 5, Repository Data-Stores in the SVN book for more information

Integrating Apache + SVN

First, you should add this anywhere in your configuration file (preferably between "<IfModule mod_dav.c>" and "</IfModule>"):

<Location /svn>
    Dav svn
    SVNParentPath /svn
    AuthType Basic
    AuthName "Subversion Repositories"
    AuthUserFile /htpasswd/svn/.htpasswd
    <LimitExcept GET PROPFIND OPTIONS REPORT>
        Require valid-user
    </LimitExcept>
</Location>

Note #1: If you do not want your repository to have read access for everyone (even those who do not have the password) remove the <LimitExcept>

Note #2: /svn is the path to your repository root, if you used any drive other than what Apache is on (Uniform Server default = W:\) for your repository root, you'll have to put the drive letter in front of the / (for example, C:\SVN becomes C:/SVN)

Next, create the .htpasswd file which will store the username & password needed to modify your repositories. Open the Command Prompt again, cd into Apache's bin directory (W:\usr\local\Apache2\bin). Execute:

htpasswd -c .htpasswd <username>

To add more usernames & passwords, execute:

htpasswd .htpasswd <username>

Note: Replace <username> with the username of your choice.

For more advanced configurations (not needed by many) view Setting Up an SVN Server.

Last Steps

  1. If you are using version 3.3, please skip to step 4.
  2. Create a "htpasswd" directory in the W:/ drive if you are using version 3.2 or less.
  3. Create a "svn" directory under the "htpasswd" directory.
  4. Copy the .htpasswd file into the "svn" directory.
  5. Now, the time you've all been for. Restart Uniform Server.
  6. Point your browser to http://localhost/svn/test (where test is the name of the repository you created earlier)

Shortcuts

  1. If you do not understand how to make the .htpasswd file, you can just make the file and edit it with the contents "username:password" in the file.

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NEW Installing SVN on 4.3-Mona

The following assumes you installed US to C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer.

If you installed to another location substitute paths accordingly.

How to install SVN

1) Run servers and check they function. Just a quick check, close servers after testing.
2) Inside folder C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive create two new folders svn_tools and svn

C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn_tools
C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn

You can choose different names and locate these outside of the UniServer folder.
However we are placing these here for portability.
Folder svn will contain your SVN repositories.
3) Download File: svn-win32-1.6.3.zip or newer.

Located at the bottom of this page: tigris.org
Extract to any folder

Make sure any newer version is compatible with the version of Apache.
4) Copy the entire content of folder svn-win32-1.6.3\svn-win32-1.6.3

To folder C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn_tools
Folder svn_tools will now contain folders bin, iconv, licenses,
share and file README.txt

Once copied if you wish to save space delete the extracted files
and svn-win32-1.6.3.zip they are no longer required.
5) Navigate to C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn_tools\bin

Move files: mod_authz_svn.so and mod_dav_svn.so
To folder: C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\usr\local\apache2\modules

Move the two modules to Apache's module folder;
6) Navigate to C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn_tools\bin

Copy these files:

  • intl3_svn.dll
  • libdb44.dll
  • libsvn_delta-1.dll
  • libsvn_fs-1.dll
  • libsvn_repos-1.dll
  • libsvn_subr-1.dll

To: C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\usr\local\apache2\bin

The above two modules have dependencies (dlls),

Apache resolves dependences by first looking in
its bin folder and then looks along system paths.


Generally these dlls are located on a system path
however we want a portable installation hence they
are copied to Apache’s bin (binary) folder.

7) Edit file: C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\usr\local\apache2\conf\httpd.conf

Confirm these modules are enabled as shown:

LoadModule dav_module modules/mod_dav.so
LoadModule dav_fs_module modules/mod_dav_fs.so
Configure Apache to use the subversion module.

First check these modules are enabled.
Note, mod_dav.so is enabled by default.

8) At the end of load modules section add these two lines:
LoadModule dav_svn_module modules/mod_dav_svn.so
LoadModule authz_svn_module modules/mod_authz_svn.so
The two lines inform Apache to load the svn modules.
Add them just below:
LoadModule vhost_alias_module modules/mod_vhost_alias.so
9) At the end of httpd.conf, add the following block of code.
<location /svn>
  DAV svn
  SVNListParentPath on
  SVNParentPath C:/UniServer_4_3/UniServer/udrive/svn
</location>

  • svn Top level folder name http://localhost/svn/*** any name after svn is assumed a repository request and passed to DAV for resolving
  • DAV svn Instructs Apache to pass the request onto the DAV layer for processing as a subversion (svn) request.
  • SVNListParentPath on Enables listing of all repositories for URL http://localhost/svn
  • SVNParentPath Absolute path to the parent folder containing all the repositories.
    Note: If you move the servers this path must be changed.

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Testing SVN server

  • Restart Servers
  • Access the SVN repository. Type the following into a browser http://localhost/svn

Page displays

Collection of Repositories
page Powered by Subversion version 1.6.3 (r38063).

This confirms Apache has been configured correctly. Next step is to create an SVN repository.

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Creating a repository - Command line

To create a repository use the command line tool svnadmin.exe

This section shows how to create a repository using this tool and how to add a working project.

Batch file

The admin tools requires opening a command prompt and navigating to the svn_tools executables folder .

This I find very tedious hence create the following batch file in folder C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn_tools\bin

Name the batch file whatever you like I have named it z_start_svn_command_prompt.bat add the following content:

start "SVN COMMAND PROMPT" cmd.exe /k "COLOR B0" 

Double click to run, a new command prompt is opened and the working folder is automatically set.

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Create a repository

You need to create at least one blank repository choose a name that matches your project for this example I will use “myproject

Run the batch file above and type the following command:

svnadmin.exe create ..\..\svn\myproject
  • svnadmin.exe Runs the subversion administration program.
  • create Is the command to be run by svn admin. It creates a repository named myproject.
    • Note: You can specify an absolute path or a relative path to the folder myproject.
      For example:
      Absolute: C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\svn\myproject
      Relative: ..\..\svn\myproject - as shown above
  • If the folder myproject does not exist it is created. Adds subversion database and tracking folders.

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Repository Access

Start the servers. To access repositories type either of the following into a browser:

  1. http://localhost/svn/ -- Displays Collection of Repositories page.
    1. All repositories in folder svn are listed as links.
    2. Currently we have just one repository hence a single link “myproject” is displayed
    3. Click this link to display “myproject” repository.
    4. If you do not want all repositories listed comment this line as shown: #SVNListParentPath on
      Accessing http://localhost/svn/ will now produce Forbidden You don't have permission to access /svn/ on this server.
    5. You can still access a repository by entering its full URL see below.
       
  2. http://localhost/svn/myproject/ -- You directly access a repository by name as shown for "“myproject”.
    Viewing this repository with a browser you will find it empty.
    However view the same folder using Windows Explorer displays several SVN suport folders and files.
    1. Folders: conf, dav, db, hooks and locks
    2. Files: README.txt and format
    3. Never edit or delete the above folders or files. They tag and track all changes in a repository.

Note:

SVN comes complete with several other command line tools including a command line client.

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Command line client

Starting with an empty repository you probably want to quickly set it up and publish your current project as it stands.

The following shows a quick way to do this it also includes SVN’s recommended folder structure.

  1. Create a temporary folder for example C:\a_svn_temp
  2. Inside this create three new folders (SVN recommended) named:
    1. trunk
    2. tags
    3. branches
  3. Copy your current stable project into folder trunk -- Note: For testing I copied folder C:\UniServer_4_3\UniServer\udrive\plugins
  4. Start servers
  5. Run batch file z_start_svn_command_prompt.bat (whatever you named it)
  6. Type the following:
svn.exe import C:\a_svn_temp http://localhost/svn/myproject -m "Initial import"

This updates your repository with new folder structure and project.

View repository, type into browser http://localhost/svn/myproject

  • The project page and status are displayed myproject - Revision 1:


Note: If you do not include -m "Some text" SVN will complain about not being able to find a text editor.

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Related Links

External Links