Master Essential SVN Commands for Linux: A Complete Cheat Sheet

The article provides a comprehensive reference of common Subversion (SVN) commands on Linux, offering concise syntax, short aliases, and practical examples for each operation.

1. Checkout a directory

Retrieve a working copy from the repository: svn checkout path Example: svn checkout svn://192.168.1.1/pro/domain Short form:

svn co

2. Add new files

Add files to the repository: svn add file Examples: svn add test.php (add a single file) svn add *.php (add all PHP files in the current directory)

3. Commit changes

Submit modifications with a log message: svn commit -m "LogMessage" [-N] [--no-unlock] PATH Example: svn commit -m "add test file for my test" test.php Short form:

svn ci

4. Lock / Unlock

Lock a file: svn lock -m "LockMessage" [--force] PATH Example: svn lock -m "lock test file" test.php Unlock:

svn unlock PATH

5. Update to a specific revision

Update working copy: svn update -r REV path Without a path, the current directory and sub‑directories are updated to the latest revision.

Examples: svn update -r 200 test.php (restore file to revision 200) svn update test.php (synchronize with repository; if a conflict occurs, run svn update, resolve, then commit)

Short form:

svn up

6. Check status

Show file and directory status: svn status path Symbols:

? – not under version control

M – modified

C – conflict

A – scheduled for addition

K – locked

Verbose status: svn status -v path Short form:

svn st

7. Delete files

Delete a file from the repository with a log message: svn delete path -m "delete test file" Example:

svn delete svn://192.168.1.1/pro/domain/test.php -m "delete test file"

Or delete locally then commit:

svn delete test.php

svn commit -m "delete test file"

Short forms: svn del,

svn rm

8. View log

Show revision history for a path: svn log path Example:

svn log test.php

9. Show file info

Display detailed information about a file or URL: svn info path Example:

svn info test.php

10. Compare differences

Show local modifications compared to the base revision: svn diff path Example: svn diff test.php Compare two specific revisions: svn diff -r M:N path Example: svn diff -r 200:201 test.php Short form:

svn di

11. Merge revisions

Apply differences between two revisions to the working copy: svn merge -r M:N path Example (may produce conflicts that need resolution):

svn merge -r 200:205 test.php

12. Help

Show general help or command‑specific help:

svn help

svn help ci

13. List repository contents

List files and directories under a repository path: svn list path Short form:

svn ls

14. Create a new directory under version control

Make a new directory: svn mkdir PATH… (local) or svn mkdir URL… (immediate commit)

15. Revert local changes

Discard local modifications and restore the pristine copy:

svn revert PATH…

16. Switch repository URL

Update the working copy to a different URL or relocate its metadata:

svn switch URL [PATH]

svn switch --relocate FROM TO [PATH…]

Example relocation:

svn switch --relocate http://59.41.99.254/mytt http://www.mysvn.com/mytt

17. Resolve conflicts

Remove conflict markers after manual resolution:

svn resolved PATH…

18. Output file or URL contents

Print the contents of a file at a specific revision: svn cat TARGET[@REV]… Example redirecting a previous revision to a file:

svn cat -r PREV filename > filename

19. Cleanup

Remove leftover log files and release locks in the working copy:

svn cleanup

20. Import an unversioned directory tree

Fastest way to add a local directory tree to the repository:

svn import mytree file:///usr/local/svn/newrepos/some/project

After import, run svn checkout to obtain a working copy.

Additional: Adding Email Notifications

Configure a post‑commit hook using the provided comm-email.pl script to send email notifications after each commit. Set the repository and revision variables, then invoke the script with the appropriate email addresses.