The open source Subversion source code management (SCM) application is one of the most widely used applications for managing code. Yet despite its popularity over the years, it has always required developers to figure out how to install it, not to mention a Web server and user interface.
Collabnet, the lead commercial sponsor behind the Subversion project, is now aiming to make it easier for developers to install and use Subversion with the new Subversion Edge open source application. With Subversion Edge, the core Subversion SCM is bundled with an Apache Web server, the ViewVC user interface and a Web management console in an integrated offering. The idea behind Subversion Edge is to enable developers to more easily install, deploy and manage Subversion, which in turn will help further expand usage of Subversion.
[login]”Subversion isn’t necessarily hard to install, for people who know what they’re doing, but there are some ‘gotchas,'” Mark Phippard, director of Subversion engineering at CollabNet, told InternetNews.com. “For example, you need to match up your Subversion binaries with your Apache binary version numbers. Configuration is also an issue — where you’re either experienced or you’re not.”
Phippard noted that Subversion Edge is being made available for both Linux and Windows platforms, enabling users of both operating systems to more easily get up and running with Subversion.
On the configuration front, Subversion Edge will enable developers to set up SSL security for their Subversion repositories via the user interface. The open source application will provide developers with the option to generate a self-signed SSL certificate for Apache or to use a commercial SSL certificate if they have one.
Updating the whole Subversion Edge stack is also a key part of the solution, so developers can keep the components up to date. Integrate with LDAP is also baked in by Collabnet, enabling enterprises to provide developer access and roles for Subversion usage.
From a commercial perspective, Collabnet is hoping that with the Subversion Edge release, enterprise developers will more easily be able to migrate to Collabnet’s TeamForge commercial solution. With TeamForge, enterprises can manage multiple Subversion code repositories.
“The Subversion Edge console can also be managed by a TeamForge central console, so it’s a … a stronger way to bring people to our enterprise offerings,” Phippard said.
Subversion Edge is being made available as a beta release this week, with general availability targeted for August. Even though it hasn’t yet reached its final release stage, Collabnet will be providing users with commercial support for Subversion Edge if they need or want it.
“We imagine that a lot of our current customers will want to use this right away,” Victoria Griggs, senior director of product marketing at CollabNet, told InternetNews.com. “So our support team has been fully trained and it didn’t make sense to hold back support until August.”
Tags: Subversion, Collabnet, SCM
