Dedicated server "svnserve"

• The idea is to run the svnserve standalone daemon as a special user, who has all the subversion administration and configuration power except for the subversion SW installation, upgrade or removal (only root should be able to do that). This special user called "svnr" (for subversion root), has its own home directory, where all the managed repositories reside. This way a dedicated person (other than root) can be assigned to cover all aspects of running subversion version control SW.
  

  The svnserve is being run though the start-stop script called "svnd" which also sets the virtual root of repositories to the home directory of the "svnr" user. This means that the absolute path prefix of the repositories is being hidden from subversion users, so they do not have to know the exact location of the repositories in the file system.

  + - ~ svnd (start-stop script)

  • On FC3 you manage start-stop scripts via "chkconfig" tool:

        .--------------------------------------------
        |[root@racek samo]# /sbin/chkconfig | grep svnd
        |chkconfig razlicice 1.3.11.1 - Pravna zascita (C) 1997-2000 Red Hat, Inc.
        |To lahko prosto razsirjate pod pogoji GNU Public License.
        |
        |uporaba: chkconfig --list [ime]
        |         chkconfig --add 
        |         chkconfig --del 
        |         chkconfig [--level ]  
        |
        |[root@racek samo]# /sbin/chkconfig --list | grep svnd
        |svnd            0:off   1:off   2:on    3:on   4:on     5:on    6:off
        |
    

  + - Create a new group:

  • • * Group name "svnr",
    • * Group id 101.

  + - Create a new user:

  • • * User name "svnr",
    • * User id 101,
    • * Home directory "/home/svnr",
    • * User's primary group "svnr",
    • * Set the apropriate passwd.

  + - Set permissions and ownership of the /usr/bin/svn* tools/servers as follows:

  •     .--------------------------------------
        |[root@racek /]# ls -al /usr/bin/svn*
        |-rwxr-xr-x  1 root  root  95988 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svn
        |-rwsr-sr--  1 svnr  svnr  25440 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svnadmin
        |-rwsr-sr--  1 svnr  svnr  20272 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svndumpfilter
        |-rwsr-sr--  1 svnr  svnr  32824 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svnlook
        |-rwsr-sr--  1 svnr  svnr  35656 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svnserve
        |-rwsr-sr--  1 svnr  svnr  10312 Apr  5 11:20 /usr/bin/svnversion
        |
    

    !!! We'll see about future modifications of these permissions, if something more is necessary for other users.

  + - Install the svnd "init.d" script:

  • • * Check if correct location of the virtual root for repositories has been set to the home direstory of the "svnr" user (SVNROOT=/home/svnr).
    • * Copy the svnd script to the "/etc/init.d/" location and set permissions as:

              .--------------------------------------
              |[root@racek /]# ls -al /etc/init.d/svnd
              |-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root 1272 May 19 09:56 /etc/init.d/svnd
              |
      

    • * Add the script to the system boot procedure using the "chkconfig" command.

              .--------------------------------------
              |[root@racek /]# chkconfig --add svnd
              |[root@racek /]# chkconfig svnd on
              |
      

  Start the Subversion server "svnserve" via "Service Configuration" UI or via command "/etc/init.d/svnd start".