wget the latest package currently at
http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-1.4.3.tar.gz - as of jan 07

• make sure you are root then..

cd /tmp
wget http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-1.4.3.tar.gz
gunzip subversion-1.4.3.tar.gz
tar -xvf subversion-1.4.3.tar
cd subversion-1.4.3

• Now build it (no need for berkeley DB)

./configure
make && make install

• Create a new user

useradd svn

#if not prompted for password, set a password

passwd svn

• create your svn repositories folder

mkdir /home/svn
mkdir /home/svn/repos
chown -R svn:svn /home/svn

• Now make sure svnserve is running -

svnserve -d

If the above Installation was a success you can now create your first repository.

cd /home/svn/repos
svnadmin create <sitename>

• configure a SVN user

cd <sitename>/conf
vi svnserve.conf <follow instructions in file>
vi passwd  <add your svn user and password>
cd /home/<user>/public_html <to the files you want to import into the repo>
svn import -m "comment here" . file:///home/svn/repos/<sitename>/trunk <file:/// is not a typo and . means all in current folder>

now Checkout a local, dev and live copy and you are all set!

Advanced Install Instructions
Subvesion Best Practices
Hosting a Subversion Repository
svnserve, a custom server
Berkeley DB
Berkeley DB Install