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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-30T12:20:34+00:00

When I started my current job, I was told to install the Subversive plugin

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When I started my current job, I was told to install the Subversive plugin for Eclipse, and given the URL of the repository to pull projects down from. My username and password were/are the same as my Active Directory credentials. So I installed the plugin, created a new repository (don’t remember how, but it was easy to do), and have never looked back.

I am now being transitioned to a different team, who also use SVN for source control, but have it set up on a completely different server. I was asked to put in a ticket with the systems people to request access to this SVN server so I could access this other team’s code.

The systems person assigned to my ticket just sent me the following email:

Attached are the pkcs12 files that are needed for your access to SVN on [svn.someserver.com]. You’ll need to put these files on your local systems and then add the following configuration to the ~/.subversion/servers file, for your SVN client. I just use the svn command on linux, so my home directory contains the .subversion directory and the servers file is in that directory. I will send your password separately.

Note: I have a Windows machine, so a part of my confusion may stem from the fact that the tech is on Linux and I am on Windows 7.

The attachment was a ZIP file that extracted two separate files:

  • foo.pem – a PEM file (?)
  • atannon – a “Personal Information Exchange” file (?); same as my username

The tech followed up with an email giving me my password in cleartext.

I checked my home directory and do not see a .subversion or .svn hidden directory anywhere. I am wondering if I need to follow his directions, but using my Program Files/eclipse/ directory instead.

So I have several questions here, all relating to how to configure SVN access in the manner prescribed by this systems tech:

  • Why was it so easy for me to get set up with the first SVN server when I started my job (just install the plugin and find the repo through Eclipse’s Repo Explorer), and why does this server require so much configuration? I assume there are multiple methods for gaining access to a SVN server, and this 2nd team just uses a more lengthy setup method?
  • Can someone give me a super-quick rundown of what each of these files are and what purpose they serve? And why I need to install them locally on my system?
  • Where should I install these files? The tech wanted me to put them in my ~/.subversion directory, but I never created one because they only SVN client I ever installed was Subversive (through Eclipse)
  • I tried creating a new repository for [svn.someserver.com] in Eclipse. I supplied my username and the cleartext password the tech sent me and now it is giving me a dialog stating I need to “Provide authentication information“, asking for SSL settings, and specifically a File and a Passphrase for the Client Certificate…would the files he sent me suffice for this? If so, perhaps the answer to my question above just requires knowing which files to point Eclipse to, and I don’t have to install these files anywhere

I usually don’t like to ask multiple questions inside of one giant question, but these are all so similatrly in nature, I didn’t want to clutter SO with too many closely-related questionss.

Thanks in advance for any help here!

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Why was it so easy for me to get set up with the first SVN server when I started my job (just install the plugin and find the repo through Eclipse’s Repo Explorer), and why does this server require so much configuration?

    First server have less paranoid (if have any at all) security settings, second was configured by Real Admin. Client-certificate authorization is most bullet-proof method

    Can someone give me a super-quick rundown of what each of these files
    are and what purpose they serve? And why I need to install them
    locally on my system?

    foo.pem is your Personal S/MIME certificate, which used for client authentication, which you have storelocally and link with repo’s server. atannon (I think) contain password for certificate privatekey, which will be asked (TBT) at first operation with repo (or with all, if you don’t cache password)

    Where should I install these files? The tech wanted me to put them in my ~/.subversion directory

    For Windows, $HOME-dir (~ in Tux-world) is C:\Users\<Your Username>\ (Win7) or c:\Documents and Settings\<Your Username>\ (WinXP). You have to find inside this tree servers file (and remember it’s location for future). In case of my XP (with TortoiseSVN only, no any Eclipse)

    Directory of c:\Documents and Settings\Badger\Application Data\Subversion

30.06.2010  09:02    <DIR>          auth
02.01.2012  19:11             6 712 config
30.06.2010  09:02             4 400 README.txt
30.06.2010  09:02             7 832 servers

    “Provide authentication information”, asking for SSL settings, and specifically a File and a Passphrase for the Client Certificate…would the files he sent me suffice for this?

    Yes, pem-file is certificate in PKCS12-format, atannon (I hope) – contain password for it

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