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Re: Multiple users on the same working copy

From: Andy Levy <andy.levy_at_gmail.com>
Date: 2007-06-19 15:56:24 CEST

On 6/19/07, Amit Gupta V <agupta16@sapient.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm trying to have a unique working copy on a network drive for several
> users.

Don't.

> I check out on a directory (D:\ProjA) and I can update and commit on it.
> But when another user on the network tries to update or commit, they get a
> the error: Can't set file 'D:\ProjA\.svn\tmp\entries' read-write: Access is
> denied.
> Is it just possible to make this working ?

You're going to have several problems:
1) Files, including temp files, created by User A will carry User A's
permissions. User B may not be able to update, delete, etc. This is
exactly what you're getting here. Possible solution: create everything
wide-open, anyone can do anything. But that's only a workaround.

2) User A can very easily and unwittingly "clobber" User B's changes.
You've now removed one of the key advantages to using version control
in the first place.

3) User A can very easily and unwittingly commit User B's changes.
What if User B wasn't finished yet?

4) Each user has their own config file. User A's auto-props, for
example, may conflict with User B's.

5) User A is working on a change to the code based on revision 123.
User B runs svn up to bring the shared WC up to revision 130. User A
has the rug ripped out from under him. Code he thought worked a
certain way may have changed. Conflicts between his code and revision
130. All kinds of stuff.

Sharing a working copy between users and/or OSes is just an invitation
for confusion and trouble. Subversion is designed for each user to
maintain their own working copy, preferably on a local drive. And the
very concept of version control is harmed when you have multiple
people using one working copy, regardless of what VCS you use. At that
point, you're only a step or two away from just keeping everything in
a shared directory with no version control.

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Received on Tue Jun 19 15:58:39 2007

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