Version control systems are types of software that manage changes made to documents, program codes, websites and practically any authored computer file. This type of software can track down changes made to a file by numerically identifying each revision and marking it with the date and time it was made and by whom. Old versions of the file are stored in a repository and can be easily recalled or reverted to anytime. This type of application is often used in software development where several programmers are simultaneously working on the same file. By automating and centralizing control of file changes, this software streamlines the work done by project teams and helps increase productivity.
The software called Subversion has a server and client component. The repository of all versions of a particular file is located in the server or host computer. Other members of the team access the file by downloading it from the host/server and working on it in their individual workstations (clients). When modifications are enacted on the working copy, these are uploaded and recorded in the server's repository. It would not be uncommon, when several individuals are working on the same file, that certain versions or specific changes would conflict. Subversion can either display error notifications or automatically merge and solve the incompatible changes.
Following are the steps to install Subversion in a system that runs on a Mac OS X platform.
1. Download Subversion from the Internet.
There are actually various versions of Subversion. Newer ones have been modified and segregated according to operating system. Be sure to download one that is made for Mac OS X.
2. Enable Subversion commands to run from every directory.
It's easy to familiarize oneself with new software through its graphical user interface. Subversion, however, does not have one. So don't be surprised if no new files or icons appear in your applications directory. What this software does instead is put command-line commands in a different directory: /usr/local/bin. To be able to use these commands, you must include them in your system's path using Mac OS X's Terminal application. This is a command-line interface and can be found in /Applications/Utilities. When the Terminal command-line interface appears, create a new text file by typing: pico .bash_profile. Next type: export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH. Afterwards, simultaneously press the 'Control' and 'X' keys, then save the new file by pressing the 'Y' key and then 'Return'. With Subversion's location added to your system's path, you can let Terminal read this new file to confirm this modification. Type: . .bash_profile.
Subversion is free software and is a successor to an earlier and popular version control software called Concurrent Versions System. It was developed by CollabNet Inc. in 2000, and has since proliferated in the open-source community.
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