Step by step source control setup

Greetings all. Let me go ahead and say it: I am completely stupid when it comes to networking. Networking, meaning routers, servers, etc. After many sleepless nights, and multiple reinstallations of source control programs, I've finally figured out how to run a source control system on my computer.

This is a MUST for a team of developers, because passing around a USB drive full of code and WinMerging each file is doomed to failure and error.

To those who are experienced in setting up such systems, this tutorial will seem simple and might contain extra steps not necessarily needed. But this resource isn't for you, it's for people like me who need step by step instructions to get anything network related running.

Files You Will Need:

• Apache 2.0.59 - Download Link
• Subversion 1.3.2 - Download Link
• Tortoise SVN - Download Link

General Info

• This setup is for Windows users[li]This will host the source control server on your local machine[li]This setup allows team members to access the source control system from remote locations[li]Security is managed using unique user names and passwords[li]You are going to use the cmd console a lot. To execute the cmd console, do the following:

Start
Run
Type cmd
Press enter
Type cd c:     <--[b]Gets you to the root of drive [/b]
Press enter

You should also write down your IP address, as this is the address remote users use to access the server.

Run the cmd console
Type cd c: and press enter
Type ipconfig and press enter
Write down the entry after IP Address, usually looks like this: 22.22.22.0, just with different numbers.

Applications Explanation
Apache is your server module, not much more detail is needed except you need to have this running all the time.

Subversion is what actually controls your repository, keeps track of revisions, and is the heart of your source control.

Tortoise is somewhat optional. This wonderful program is a client used for accessing a source control server. You can always pick another client, but what I like about Tortoise is that it integrates into Windows beautifully. Once you install Tortoise, you need to restart the computer, and once you do any folders or files involved in source control have overlays on top of their icon letting you know if a file/folder is up to date, modified, or locked.

Go ahead and install Tortoise and restart Windows before we proceed with your main setup.


Step 1:
Download Apache, Subversion, and Tortoise

Step 2:
Install Apache. Input the following when asked:

Network Domain/IP - 127.0.0.1
Server Name - localhost
Webmaster Email - YOUR_EMAIL_HERE

Leave the rest of the installation on default, especially the install path.

Step 3:
Install Subversion. Make sure that "Install and configure Subversion modules..." is checked, which it should be by default. Default installation is recommended.

Step 4:
Edit your Apache httpd.conf file at C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf. Alternatively, there is a shortcut in the start menu under the Apache program group to edit the file.

Add this at the bottom of the file

# Configure Subversion repository
<Location /svn>
DAV svn
SVNPath "C:\svn"
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Subversion repository"
AuthUserFile "c:\svn_conf\passwd"
Require valid-user
</Location>

Save and exit the file. Restart the Apache server using the short cut found in
Start->Programs->Apache 2.0.59->Manage Apache Server->Restart


Step 5:
Create the following two folders, preferably in the root of a hard drive (c:\):

• svn[li]svn_conf

Step 6:
Password protect the Subversion repository running the cmd console and entering the following:

cd "C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\bin"
htpasswd -c C:\svn_conf\passwd admin

You can change admin to whatever you want, such as your name or your network admin's name. You'll be prompted to enter a password, do so and press enter.


Step 7:
We are almost done with the setup. There is one tricky thing we have to do, which is add a System Variable in Windows. Do so using the following:

Start
Settings
Control Panel
Double click System (depending on your XP theme and visual settings)
Click on the Advanced tab
Click on the Environment Variables button
Under System variables scroll box, click the New button
[b]Variable name: SVN_EDITOR
Variable value: c:\windows\notepad.exe[/b]
Click OK on each window until you are back in Windows.

Step 8:
Load the cmd console and type:

svnadmin create "c:\svn"

Alt + Tab back into Windows.

Step 9:
Edit c:\svn\conf\svnserve.conf, and remove the # symbol before the following lines:

anon-access = read
auth-access = write
password-db = passwd

Save and exit.


Step 10:
Edit c:\svn\conf\passwd, and remove the # symbol before the following lines:

harry = harryssecret
sally = sallyssecret

Obviously, you want to swap the names "harry" and "sally" for the names of your team members. Also, change "harrysecret" and "sallysecret" to more secure passwords for team mates.

Step 11:
Alt + Tab back to the cmd console, and enter the following:

svnserve --daemon --root "C:\svn"

Press enter, and at this point you have a running server. You need to leave this window running, so just minimize BUT DO NOT CLOSE IT

Step 10:
Open a second cmd console, and enter the following:

svn mkdir svn://localhost/myproject

myproject can be renamed to fit your project name. Once you press enter, Notepad should pop up showing you some text like this:

-- This line, and those below, will be ignored --
A svn://localhost/myproject

Save and exit, then switch back to the cmd console you were just in.

You should be prompted with (c)ontinue, (a)bort, (r)etry. Type c and press enter.
You should now be asked for the Admin password, which is actually the password for your windows logon. If there is no password for Windows logon, just press enter.

The last prompt is asking for a user name, then it will ask for a password. This will be one of the entries you made in the c:\svn\conf\passwd file.

If you typed in the name and password correctly, you should see the following:

Authentication realm:  0f1a8b11-d50b-344d-9dc7-0d9ba12e22df
Password for 'Administrator': *********
Authentication realm:  0f1a8b11-d50b-344d-9dc7-0d9ba12e22df
Username: sally
Password for 'sally': ************

Committed revision 1.

Some numbers might be different, but ladies and gentleman, you have source control running.


Using Source Control
These instructions are based on a single folder or file, but I highly recommend you read the Tortoise SVN docs on the website for a full listing of commands and instructions.

Adding a folder
Create a folder on your C:\, let's call it FakeGame.

Create a folder in FakeGame and name it svn.

Put a file in FakeGame\svn, a simple notepad doc will do for now.

Right click on FakeGame\svn, hover over TortoiseSVN until the submenu pops up, and left click on import.

Put the following in the URL of repository: box,

svn://YOUR_IP_ADDRESS/YOUR_PROJECT_NAME

(might look like this) svn://22.22.22.0/myproject

Click OK. You might be prompted for a user name and password, which again, are the entries you put in the c:\svn\conf\passwd file.

By Importing this folder, anything in the folder hierarchy (files and subfolders), will be added to the repository.

If you make a change to a file, simply right click the file, and left click SVN Commit...

Got a new file? Right click the file, and left click TortoiseSVN->Add...


There are a lot more commands and features of TortoiseSVN, but you should be able to figure it out using the docs. If you get stuck, just post here in the resource and I'll help the best that I can.


One disclaimer is that I did not include instructions and configurations for servers and computers that are behind routers. I know how to configure such systems, but I did not include the info here because the steps can change based on your router brand and type. If you are having problems that relate to this issue, you can e-mail me, because I don't want to confuse people with extra steps.