Howto work offline with Subversion
==================================

Based on http://brosinski.com/stephan/2007/06/20/subversion-repositories-synchronisieren/
thanks Stephan for the basics (German text).

An other descriptions found on http://svn.collab.net/repos/svn/trunk/notes/svnsync.txt

This text give a short handout to using Subversion repository offline.
This mode has one limit: It's one way, you can only read from your mirror.
You need Subversion 1.4 or newer. 


* For better readable I use variables
    $ BASE=$HOME/svn-repos/colinux-mirror
    $ MIRROR=file://$BASE
    $ MASTER=https://colinux.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/colinux

* Create a new repository on your local PC.
  (without the prefix "file://" here!)

    $ svnadmin create $BASE

* Create the hook for importing file properties

    $ cat > $BASE/hooks/pre-revprop-change <<EOF
    #!/bin/sh
    exit 0
    EOF

    $ chmod +x $BASE/hooks/pre-revprop-change

* Setup the path to master repository.

    $ svnsync init $MIRROR $MASTER
    Copied properties for revision 0.

* Svnsync tracks the update status in revision 0. See, what init was doing

    $ svn proplist --verbose --revprop -r 0 $MIRROR
    Unversioned properties on revision 0:
      svn:sync-from-uuid : 688f6386-cf32-0410-9ead-a596f0484e40
      svn:sync-last-merged-rev : 0
      svn:date : 2007-06-13T20:33:21.133528Z
      svn:sync-from-url : https://colinux.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/colinux

* Copy from master repository to local mirror

    $ svnsync --non-interactive sync $MIRROR

* see, what goes done now

    $ svn proplist --verbose --revprop -r 0 $MIRROR
    svn:sync-from-uuid : 688f6386-cf32-0410-9ead-a596f0484e40
    svn:sync-last-merged-rev : 645
    svn:date : 2007-06-13T20:33:21.133528Z
    svn:sync-from-url : https://colinux.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/colinux

* Now, can go offline

* Checkout working copy from local mirror

    $ mkdir $HOME/sources
    $ cd $HOME/sources
    $ svn checkout -q $MIRROR/branches/devel colinux-devel

* You have sources in directory colinux-devel. Do all, what you wand,
  for example view the last 3 changelog entries

    $ cd $HOME/sources
    $ svn log --verbose --limit 3

* From time to time, go online and synconize you mirror from master
  repository, than go offline again

    $ svnsync --non-interactive sync $MIRROR

* Update your working copy, and view versions/changelogs ...

    $ cd $HOME/sources
    $ svn update
    $ svn log --verbose --limit 3

* Remember! Before you commit changes to master repository, must
  switch your repository URL to the master. Than commit and
  go back to your offline mirror:

    $ svn switch --relocate $MIRROR $MASTER
    $ svn commit
    $ svn switch --relocate $MASTER $MIRROR

  You NEVER should commit to the mirror!

* If you would commit to the mirror, instead to the master, you have big
  problems.  Create the hook to disallow commits to the mirror

    $ cat > $BASE/hooks/pre-revprop-change <<EOF
    #!/bin/sh

    USER="$3"
    test "$USER" = "svnsync" && exit 0
    echo "Only the svnsync user may change revision properties" >&2
    exit 1
    EOF

    $ chmod a+x $BASE/hooks/pre-revprop-change

    $ cat > $BASE/hooks/start-commit <<EOF
    #!/bin/sh

    USER="$2"
    test "$USER" = "svnsync" && exit 0
    echo "Only the svnsync user may commit new revisions" >&2
    exit 1
    EOF

    $ chmod a+x $BASE/hooks/start-commit

    Now can only checkout from mirror. The mirror is write protected.
    To have write access user username in your refresh script:

    $ svnsync --username svnsync --non-interactive sync file:///$REPOS

* Some times svnsyn fails on next call with error:

    Failed to get lock on destination repos, currently held by 'xxxxxx'

* Problem is an entry in revision 0. best way, you delet it:

    $ svn propdel svn:sync-lock --revprop -r 0 $MIRROR

--- Henry N. --- Jan/2010 --- www.henrynestler.com ---