Recently I have been reading up on CVS (and Subversion) and wondering if you could guide me a little on the subject. I would like to set it up on the server (CentOS) and learn to use it.

Which one would you recommend I learn to use? CVS or Subversion?

Searching through yum, I see that both are available as packages: cvs.i386 and subversion.i386. Can I really install them through the RPM? Is it really that simple? And once I install the software, is there anything I need to configure to make the cvs server secure?

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I came across this, if it might be helpful. Just jump down to the "Getting Started" section.

I have not done a full install of CVS myself; however, we DO use CVS as a repository at our location.

EDIT:
I have not had exposure to subversion, so I can't elaborate on that one.

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I have not been involved in setting up or administering Subversion servers, but I have been on the client end a number of times with Windows clients as well as with various Linux platforms. Subversion seems to be the "way to go." I just use command-line svn client stuff on Linux (svn co, svn update, etc.) and the Tortoise SVN client for Windows (http://tortoisesvn.tigris.org) Five stars (out of five).

If you have read up, then you probably have seen stuff like http://subversion.tigris.org/faq.htm...r-requirements and http://svnbook.red-bean.com/nightly/...verconfig.html and http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/Subversion

As far as security: Your final object is (probably) to hook into Apache. Therefore the svn server already uses whatever security setup (Selinux or whatever) and authentication that is there. Additional considerations seem to be covered in chapter 6 of the svnbook. (Remember: I am not a Subversion guru.)

The Subversion package supplies all of the subversion stuff (svn, svnadmin, svnserve). See Footnote. (You knew this was coming, right?)

Server requirements are spelled out in chapter 6 of the svnbook (also in the centos.org HowTo). Namely: you will also need the mod_dav_svn package in the Centos base repository to use with Apache 2.x. (I am assuming you are running a recent httpd from Centos. Mine is version 2.2.3.)

Bottom line: Lots of things to learn; lots of free documentation for starters (http://svnbook.red-bean.com/).


Regards,

Dave


Footnotes:

A hint from a Subversion guru of my acquaintance:

To get a feel for things, just set up a local svnserve-based server. Create a repository or two and do some experiments inside your firewall. There are a LOT of things to learn. Nothing you do or learn here is a throwaway. If you already have CVS repositories, they can be converted, almost painlessly (he says), to Subversion.



A blurb from the book at svnbook/red-bean:


If you've decided to use either Apache or stock svnserve, create a single svn user on
your system and run the server process as that user. Be sure to make the repository directory
wholly owned by the svn user as well. From a security point of view, this keeps
the repository data nicely siloed and protected by operating system filesystem permissions,
changeable by only the Subversion server process itself.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, and I certainly have a lot more to read now.

I will attempt to install the software tomorrow and see how it goes from there. I think I'll go with Subversion. I will probably use the "svnserve" server instead of the mod_dav_svn module since I don't have Apache 2 installed on the server.

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