Setup SVN Tools and Repositories on Cpanel Servers

Submitted by shrop on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 5:55am

Subversion sysadmin cpanel

Once completed, you will have subversion client and server tools installed and Apache configured to serve a SVN repository over a shared SSL cert. If you are not familiar with compiling source on Unix systems, you may want to ask your support to help. I am not resposible for any isues the steps below may cause on your server (You have been warned!)

Provides:
Subversion 1.6.5
Apache modules
Shared SSL Cert

Note: You need root access to a cpanel install to perform the following. Some web hosts will setup SVN for you if you do not. Check with your support for details. Apache needs to be up to date and the dav module activated. Use /scripts/easyapache to do this. If you just want svn for use as a client, you can compile subversion and setup the path to /opt/svn/bin in your ssh profile.

Compile Subversion
% cd /opt
% wget http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-1.6.5.tar.gz
% wget http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-deps-1.6.5.tar.gz
% tar -xzf subversion-1.6.5.tar.gz
% tar -xzf subversion-deps-1.6.5.tar.gz
% cd subversion-1.6.5
% ./configure --prefix=/opt/svn --with-apxs=/usr/local/apache/bin/apxs --with-apr=/usr/local/apache/bin/apr-1-config --with-apr-util=/home/cpeasyapache/src/httpd-2.2.13/srclib/apr-util --with-ssl
% make
% make install

Next, edit ~/bash_profile and the svn binary path to your ssh environment path:

path for svn

PATH=$PATH:/opt/svn/bin
export PATH

Configure Apache
1. Add the following lines to the global pre-include file in WHM:
LoadModule dav_svn_module modules/mod_dav_svn.so
LoadModule authz_svn_module modules/mod_authz_svn.so

Follow instructions at http://svnbook.red-bean.com/ to create and manage a repository.
Configure a new SSL cert in WHM. This can usually be a shared cert for the server. If it is not a shared cert, an dedicated IP address will be required for the domain.
Go to the domain's home folder and create password file:
% htpasswd -cm svn-auth-file sv-auth-file
Add the following to httpd.conf in the SSL :443 vhost details for the domain that the cert has been setup for:

<Location /svn>
  DAV svn
  SVNPath /path/to/repo
  AuthType Basic
  AuthName "SVN Repository"
  AuthUserFile /home/user/svn-auth-file
  Require valid-user
</Location>

If you want to follow cpanel apache config standards, create an include file like below:
Include "/usr/local/apache/conf/userdata/ssl/domain.com/svnconfig.conf"

Setup /home/user/public_secure as the shred SSL cert directory root. This helps to not conflict with Drupal or other web apps.