-----Original Message----- From: David Weintraub [mailto:qazw...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, 26 May 2010 5:05 To: Peng Yu Cc: users@subversion.apache.org Subject: Re: svn support for symbolic link?
On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 3:25 PM, Peng Yu <pengyu...@gmail.com> wrote: > For some reason, I need to create symbolic link in my source > directory. When the directory structure is changed, I have some tools > to fix broken links. > > I'm wondering if svn support symbolic links. I know that the Unix version of Subversion supports symbolic links, but I don't know if the Windows version does on Vista and Windows 7. I can tell you it doesn't on earlier versions of Windows. Yes, I know that NTFS supports something like symbolic links and that since Vista, actual symbolic links are supported in NTFS via the mklink command. However, since by default non-administrative users ren't allowed to create symbolic links and junctions, most Windows programs like Subversion don't support them either. Besides, there's no guarantee you're using NTFS and not FAT32 on your Windows partition. It is normally not a good idea to use symbolic links in a version control even in cases where it is fully supported. You're usually better off having a utility create the symbolic links for you at build or installation time. As you stated, when you have symbolic links, they tend to break when things like directory structures change. In fact, the truth is that Subversion doesn't really handle symbolic links at all. They're just stored in the repository as a regular file with a "svn:special" property attached to them. It is up to the Subversion client to figure out that they're really symbolic links and to create the symbolic link. The Subversion Unix command line client does this. I don't know about the Windows Subversion client on Windows Vista and Windows 7, and since I don't have a copy of those operating systems, I can't even try it. If you have a Windows 7 machine, you can create a local repository, checkout to a local working directory. Create a symbolic link, add it to the repository and commit the change. Check out the project somewhere else and see what happens. -- David Weintraub qazw...@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry, forgot to mention that I got the error when trying to commit. ##################################################################################### Attention: The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies. #####################################################################################
