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The quickest Ubuntu setup is native svnserve: install Subversion, create a repository, configure authentication and path authorization, then start svnserve with the repository directory as its root. Use Apache httpd with mod_dav_svn instead when you need HTTP(S), existing Apache authentication, or several repositories behind one URL. The steps below cover both choices, with secure defaults and client tests.
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Choose the server method before installing
Subversion repositories can be served by two different processes. Native svnserve speaks Subversion’s own svn:// protocol and is small and direct. Apache httpd with mod_dav_svn exposes repositories through WebDAV, normally at an http:// or https:// URL.
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| Consideration | Native svnserve | Apache/mod_dav_svn |
|---|---|---|
| Client URL | svn://server/repository |
http://server/svn/repository or https://server/svn/repository |
| Transport | Subversion custom protocol | HTTP/WebDAV |
| Authentication | Repository passwd and authz files, or a global configuration file |
Apache authentication modules, such as a password file, plus Subversion path authorization when configured |
| TLS | Not provided by the basic svnserve setup described here |
Use Apache HTTPS after configuring TLS |
| Firewall exposure | Usually TCP 3690, unless you select another port | Use the web server’s existing HTTP/HTTPS ports |
| Best fit | A controlled network with a simple, dedicated Subversion service | Internet-facing access, existing web infrastructure, centralized authentication, or multiple repositories under one URL |
For a private office or development network, svnserve has fewer moving parts. For access across untrusted networks, prefer Apache over HTTPS so credentials and repository traffic are protected by TLS.
Requirements and initial checks
- An Ubuntu machine that remains reachable by your Subversion clients.
- An account with
sudoprivileges. - A planned repository location, such as
/srv/svn. - A DNS name or fixed address that clients can resolve.
- A firewall policy that permits only the port and source addresses your users need.
Check the Ubuntu release before installing. Package revisions change over time; the Noble package identified in the Ubuntu manpage at one point was Subversion 1.14.3-1build4, but you should verify the version in your own release rather than assuming that number applies.
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Install Subversion on Ubuntu
- Refresh APT metadata:
sudo apt update - Install the native client and server package:
sudo apt install subversion - Confirm the installed build and available client commands:
svn --version
Ubuntu’s subversion package includes svnserve. You do not install a separate native-server package. If you select Apache, install Apache httpd and the Ubuntu integration package that provides mod_dav_svn; on releases that use the conventional package naming, that is commonly:
sudo apt install apache2 libapache2-mod-svnPackage names can differ between Ubuntu releases, so confirm that the package is available on the target release before proceeding. The native and Apache methods are alternatives: install the Apache integration only when you intend to serve the repository through Apache.
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Create the repository safely
Keep repositories outside a user’s home directory and use a directory dedicated to Subversion. The following creates a parent directory with restrictive permissions and the conventional subversion group:
sudo install -d -m 0750 -o root -g subversion /srv/svn
sudo svnadmin create /srv/svn/myreposvnadmin create initializes the repository database; it does not create a working copy. The repository now has a conf directory for server settings, a hooks directory, and the internal database directories that Subversion manages.
Most teams organize project content with three top-level directories:
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trunk/
branches/
tags/This layout is a convention rather than a server requirement. Create it by importing an initial directory tree from a client, then check out trunk for normal development. Do not manually edit files inside the repository’s internal database directories.
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Edit svnserve.conf
Open the configuration file for this repository:
sudo editor /srv/svn/myrepo/conf/svnserve.confUse this secure baseline:
[general]
anon-access = none
auth-access = write
password-db = passwd
authz-db = authz
realm = My Ubuntu SVN RepositoryRemove leading whitespace from these settings. The Subversion configuration format is whitespace-sensitive in common Ubuntu examples; an indented key can be ignored or fail to behave as intended. anon-access = none prevents unauthenticated reads, while auth-access = write allows authenticated users to perform the operations granted by authz.
The repository-specific configuration is read from /srv/svn/myrepo/conf/svnserve.conf. A server started with a global --config-file can use another configuration source, so check the command line if changes to this file appear to have no effect.
Create users in passwd
Edit the password database referenced above:
sudo editor /srv/svn/myrepo/conf/passwdAdd users under the [users] section:
[users]
alice = replace-with-a-long-passwordReplace the example value with a unique, long password. The file is part of the repository’s server configuration, so protect its filesystem permissions and limit shell access to administrators. Add one line per account; do not share one credential among an entire team.
Grant only the paths each user needs
Edit the authorization file:
sudo editor /srv/svn/myrepo/conf/authzA minimal, deny-by-default policy is:
[groups]
developers = alice
[/]
@developers = rw
* =The developers group receives read and write access to the repository root. The wildcard rule denies everyone else. You can grant separate permissions to subdirectories, for example:
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[groups]
developers = alice
reviewers = bob
[/]
@developers = rw
@reviewers = r
* =
[/myrepo/trunk/release]
@developers = rw
@reviewers = rKeep path rules as narrow as your workflow permits. Test both a permitted path and a path that should be denied; a syntactically valid file can still grant more access than intended if a broad rule appears first or a group contains the wrong account.
Start svnserve and expose only the repository root
Start the native server with the parent directory as its root:
sudo svnserve -d -r /srv/svnThe -r /srv/svn option means clients address myrepo without learning the server’s full filesystem path. In daemon mode, svnserve listens on TCP port 3690 by default. Select a different port with --listen-port, or bind to a specific interface with --listen-host when the server has more than one network.
For a temporary diagnostic run that keeps the process in the foreground, use:
sudo svnserve -d --foreground -r /srv/svnForeground mode makes startup errors visible in the terminal. Once the configuration works, arrange for the command to be launched by the host’s service manager at boot, and ensure that the account running it can read the repository and write transaction data. Do not assume that a manually started root process is an appropriate production service identity.
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Test the server from a client
Testing from another machine catches firewall, DNS, authentication, and permission errors that a local filesystem check cannot reveal.
- List the repository as the configured user:
svn ls svn://server.example/myrepo --username alice - Check out the development path:
svn checkout svn://server.example/myrepo/trunk working-copy --username alice - Create or edit a file in
working-copy, then commit it and confirm that the revision appears in a second checkout. - Repeat the test with an account that should be denied. It should not be able to list or modify paths excluded by
authz.
Use the exact host name clients will use in production. A successful checkout from localhost does not prove that DNS, routing, or firewall rules are correct for remote users.
Serve the repository through Apache instead
Apache is the better fit when users already authenticate through a web server, when several repositories should share one URL prefix, or when clients need HTTPS. The repository remains on disk; Apache and mod_dav_svn provide the HTTP/WebDAV transport.
Install and enable the Apache integration
Install Apache and the package that supplies mod_dav_svn, then enable the WebDAV/Subversion modules required by your Ubuntu release. Confirm that Apache starts cleanly before adding the repository location. If you already run a web site, place the Subversion directives in the appropriate virtual-host configuration rather than exposing a second ad-hoc server.
Configure one or many repositories
For multiple repositories below one directory, use a location similar to:
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<Location /svn>
DAV svn
SVNParentPath /srv/svn
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Subversion Repository"
AuthUserFile /etc/subversion/passwd
Require valid-user
</Location>SVNParentPath tells Apache that each child directory, such as /srv/svn/myrepo, is a repository. For exactly one repository, use SVNPath /srv/svn/myrepo instead. Do not use both directives for the same location.
The example requires every request to authenticate against the Apache password file. Create that file with the Apache password utility, protect it from ordinary users, and add accounts for the people who need access. If you also need per-path permissions, retain Subversion authorization rules and test them through the HTTP URL.
Use HTTPS for untrusted networks
Configure a valid TLS certificate on Apache and use an https:// repository URL. Basic authentication sends credentials in a form that must be protected by TLS; do not publish an Internet-facing password-protected repository over plain HTTP. Restrict the web server’s access with its normal firewall and virtual-host controls.
Filesystem ownership and firewall checks
- Identify the account that actually runs
svnserveor Apache and verify that it can read the repository configuration and write repository transactions. - Keep
passwdandauthzreadable only by the service and administrators. - For native access, allow TCP 3690 only from trusted client networks unless you deliberately selected another port.
- For Apache access, expose only the HTTP/HTTPS ports required by the virtual host; prefer HTTPS for remote users.
- Do not enable anonymous write access. If anonymous reads are acceptable on an internal network, make that an explicit policy decision rather than leaving the default unclear.
Back up and verify before production use
Back up the complete repository directory, including its configuration and hook files, and document how you would restore it to a new Ubuntu host. A backup that contains only a working copy is not a repository backup. Perform a test restore and then run a checkout against the restored repository before relying on the procedure.
Record the repository URL, the selected transport, the service account, firewall rules, administrator contacts, and the authorization policy. After upgrades, run svn --version, verify that the expected server process is listening, and repeat an authenticated checkout from a separate client.
Troubleshooting common failures
“Connection refused” or a timeout
- Confirm that
svnserveor Apache is running on the intended host. - Check that the server is listening on the expected interface and port. Native
svnserveuses 3690 unless changed. - Check DNS resolution and the firewall on both the Ubuntu host and any upstream network.
- For Apache, verify that the virtual host is enabled and that the client URL matches its
<Location>path.
Authentication succeeds but access is denied
- Check the exact repository and path spelling in
authz. - Confirm that the username appears in the intended group.
- Make sure the configuration keys have no leading whitespace and that the running server is using the repository’s configuration file.
- Test a deliberately allowed path and a deliberately denied path from a separate client.
The server cannot open the repository
Inspect ownership and mode bits on /srv/svn, /srv/svn/myrepo, and every parent directory. The service account needs directory traversal permission and write access where Subversion records transactions. A repository created as root may need its ownership or group adjusted before a non-root service account can use it.
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Apache returns a configuration or DAV error
Confirm that the mod_dav_svn integration package and required Apache modules are installed and enabled, then validate the Apache configuration before reloading it. Check that SVNPath points to one repository and SVNParentPath points to the directory containing multiple repositories; using the wrong directive is a common cause of a valid repository appearing unavailable.
Which setup should you deploy?
Use native svnserve when the repository is limited to a controlled network and you want the smallest configuration: one package, repository-local authentication, an explicit svn:// URL, and a narrowly opened port. Use Apache when HTTPS, existing web authentication, standard web-server operations, or a common URL for several repositories matters more than minimality. In either case, disable anonymous writes, apply least-privilege path rules, verify remote access, and maintain a tested backup and restore procedure.
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