Sublime Subversion

Sublime 1.1 has been released and is available for download now!  Current users of Sublime 1.0 can download 1.1 and upgrade their server for free.  Please see the upgrade instructions for details on upgrading your server.

Below are the new features added in Sublime 1.1:

• Repository RSS Feeds
  Each repository exposes an RSS feed for repository commits.  Repository RSS feeds contain the same information included in repository email notifications such as commit message, date, changes, and author.
• Event Log RSS Feed
  For server administrators, the Sublime event log is now exposed as an RSS feed. This allows administrators to see errors or backup notifications as they occur without having to check the event log or Sublime web interface.
• Disable Repository Folders
  If you do not plan on organizing repositories into folders, or your Subversion server doesn’t support a folder structure (i.e. Apache) you may now disable repository folders in the Sublime interface.  When disabled, the repository list page will no longer display the folder hierarchy, and users won’t be prompted to choose a folder when creating new repositories.
• Support for SMTP Servers requiring SSL (e.g. Google Apps)
  When configuring email settings for the server, administrators can specify that the server requires a secure connection.  This is required for some email servers such as Google Apps.

For a complete list of changes and bug fixes in 1.1, please see the release notes.

Apologies for the radio silence recently.  While finishing up Sublime 1.1 we decided to completely re-write the Sublime installer.  We had been using an off-the-shelf product for our installer which worked okay initially.  However, after digging into more of the details we decided to switch to the excellent open-source Wix installer.  While we believe this is a good long term decision, it did add quite a bit of development time to 1.1.  We’re working the last bugs out of the installer now and should have 1.1 released soon.

So what’s new in 1.1?  Well the biggest new feature is RSS Feeds.  With Sublime 1.1, each repository will expose an RSS feed of the commit history.  This can be a great alternative to email-based commit notifications.  Each item in the RSS feed will show the time of the commit, the author, the commit message, and the list of changed files.

In addition to repository RSS feeds we added an RSS feed for administrators.  This feed will contain important information about the server such as the success or failure of repository backups, information about new users or repositories created, etc.

We’ve been using both of these features on our internal servers for a couple of months and really like them.  Hopefully you will two.

In addition to those features we’ve included a number of minor enhancements and bugfixes including:

• Turn On/Off Repository folder hierarchy.  This allows administrators to specify whether repositories will be created in a folder hierarchy or a flat list.
• Better support for non-English Subversion servers
• UI bug fixes including better paging support for repositories with a large number of commits
• Email notifications enabled by default for new repositories

Thanks to all of you who have sent us feedback and suggestions.  Once 1.1 is released we’ll post our plans for 1.2.  Remember, 1.x releases of Sublime are free upgrades to anybody who has purchased a Sublime license.

Over the coming months we will be releasing the roadmap for Sublime. This will include new features and updates for version 1.0 (which are available free to all current 1.0 users) as well as future plans. To make sure we are planning the right features for Sublime we have set up a user forum to capture your feedback and ideas. Here you can vote on ideas submitted by other users, or submit your own suggestions.

Currently the top contenders are:

• SharePoint integration – creating a repository will create or connect to a SharePoint project site
• Repository History RSS feed – expose an RSS feed on repository commits – may be used as an alternative to email announcements
• Path-based permissions – allow permissions to be set on paths within a repository
• Active Directory Groups – allow AD security groups to be used when assigning permissions

There are plenty of other ideas as well ranging from an enhanced repository browser, incremental backups, and security/permission audit.

Please help us make Sublime the best Subversion server available by providing your input and ideas!

The Subversion team announced the release of Subversion 1.6.5 today. This is mostly a bugfix release based on the release notes.

Here are the changes between 1.6.5 and 1.6.4.

User-visible changes:

• fix mod_dav_svn directory view links to preserve peg revisions (r38201)
• do not error on Windows when ALLUSERPROFILE dir nonexistent (r38053, -5, -7)
• properly escape lock comments over ra_neon (r38101, -2)
• allow syncing copies of ‘/’ over ra_neon and ra_serf (issue #3438)
• make ‘svnlook diff’ show empty added or deleted files (r38458)
• fix building with Apache 2.4 (r36720)
• fix possible data loss on ext4 and GPFS filesystems (issue #3442)
• resolve symlinks when checking for ~/.subversion (r36023)
• don’t let svn+ssh SIGKILL ssh processes (issue #2580)
• allow PLAIN and LOGIN mechanisms with SASL in svnserve (r38205)
• fix peg revision parsing in filenames like ‘dir/@file.txt’ (issue #3416)
• fix detection of Apache <2.0.56 (r38290, -3, -4)
• don’t pretend to do tree conflict resolution (r38799, -801, -805)
• fix data corruption when syncing from svnserve to mod_dav_svn (r38686, -7)
• fix GNOME Keyring with ‘–non-interactive’ option (r38222, -3, -61, -410)
• fixed: false “File ‘…’ already exists” error during commit (issue #3119)

Developer-visible changes:

• avoid referencing uninitialized variables (r38388)
• plug a couple of error leaks (r38572)
• improve windows test output (r38616, -7, -9, -49)

It is with great pleasure that we announce the release of Sublime 1.0. To celebrate our release we are offering an introductory discount of 30% off of the full retail price. To purchase Sublime licenses or get additional details, please see the Sublime Licensing page.

I would like to personally thank all of our beta testers. Without your feedback, bug reports, and suggestions, Sublime would not be as robust as it is today.

Over the course of the beta, many people have asked about Sublime licensing. You can see the full details on the Sublime Licensing page, but here is a brief summary.

• Sublime is licensed on a per-user basis. Each user accessing Sublime and Subversion repositories managed by Sublime requires a user license.
• Sublime ships with one free user license so Sublime is completely free for individual use.
• Email-based technical support is included
• You are eligible to receive all future updates to version 1.0 absolutely free.

Please see the Sublime Licensing page for specific licensing costs and to purchase your licenses.

Moving forward we will continue to refine and improve Sublime. In the coming months we will publish a Sublime roadmap describing the future changes and additions we plan to make to the product. However, we cannot improve Sublime in a vacuum. We need your input and feedback! Please let us know if there are features you would like us to include, Subversion configurations Sublime should support, or other ideas for improvements. I believe that Sublime is simply the best management tool for Subversion available today, but with your ideas and feedback, it can be even better.

As we approach the release of Sublime 1.0 (expected very shortly) some of you may be concerned that your beta version will be expiring at the end of this month. If you are running version 0.7 after 9/1/2009, you will no longer be able to create repositories or users. If you are running a version earlier than 0.7, it will stop working all together.

Starting today, we will be offering extended beta licenses for anybody who would like a little more time before their beta expires. This is intended for organizations who need a little more time evaluating Sublime, or who’s buying process may take longer than a couple of weeks.

To get your extended beta license, simply send an email to info@sublimesvn.com requesting a new license. The extended beta license will allow you to continue to use Sublime free of charge until 10/1/2009.

Sublime Version 0.7 is Available Now!

I am very pleased to announce the release of Sublime 0.7!  Version 0.7 contains some exciting new features including the support for user groups, enhanced permission management, and customization of the Help and Resources page.  Full details can be read on our previous blog post and in the release notes.

Sublime 0.7 can be downloaded now from the Download Page.  If you are upgrading from a previous version, please read the Upgrade Instructions before installing Sublime 0.7.

Announcing Sublime Snapshot – Free Subversion Backup Utility

In addition to the release of Sublime 0.7 we are very excited to introduce Sublime Snapshot. Snapshot is a simple and free Subversion backup utility designed for users who don’t need the full power of Sublime, but want an easy way to back up their repositories on a scheduled basis.

Snapshot offers a sub-set of the functionality provided by Sublime, so if you use Sublime you do not need Snapshot.

For more details, please see the Sublime Snapshot page on our website.

With version 0.7 coming soon we wanted to introduce you to some of the exciting new features that will be included. When planning version 0.7 we wanted to focus on security management and permissions and we are doing so in two primary features:

User Groups

In Sublime 0.7 administrators can define user groups, and then use those groups when assigning repository permissions. This will simplify permission management and help to maintain consistency across multiple repositories. Groups can be nested within parent groups as well to create a flexible user/group organization structure.

Sublime 0.7 Preview - Groups

Permission Levels

Administrators and repository owners will now have the ability to specify the level of permissions a user or group should have when adding them to a repository. They will be able to specify Read/Write, Read Only, or Deny access. This has been a commonly requested feature and will be included in version 0.7.

Sublime 0.7 Preview - Permission Levels

Customize Help and Resources Page

One of the non-permission related changes we are making in 0.7 is the ability to edit the content of the Help and Resources page. This page is designed to help your users with links to important resources, articles on getting started with Subversion, and product updates. In 0.7 it will be possible to edit the RSS feeds providing content for this page, or even add your own RSS feeds.

Sublime 0.7 Preview - Help and Resources RSS Feeds

We’re excited about these new features and hope to release version 0.7 sometime in the next several weeks. Stay Tuned!

I am happy to announce the release of version 0.6.0 of Sublime. This release marks the first version of Sublime to support Active Directory authentication. Servers configured with Apache to support AD or LDAP authentication can now use Sublime to manage permissions, create repositories, schedule automated backups, and all of Sublime’s core features. For more details, please see the Security Configuration section of the Administrator Guide. It is also recommended to review the Configuring Sublime with Apache guide to ensure your Apache configuration will be compatible with Sublime.

Go ahead and grab version 0.6.0 from the Sublime Downloads page.

Users upgrading from 0.5.x should read the Upgrade Instructions before installing.

New Features:

• Sublime now supports Active Directory / LDAP authentication in both the Sublime web interface, and repository permissions. Servers must have Apache installed and configured for AD auth to use this new functionality. Additional details are available at http://sublimesvn.com/documentation/administrator-guide/configuring-sublime-with-apache.html
• Repository detail page displays a command for checking out a repository. This command along with the repository URL can be copied to the clipboard.
• Better support for Subversion packages other than SlikSVN and Tigris.org releases.

Bug Fixes:

• Changing password now requires user to enter their current password in addition to a new password.
• Fixed issues with Installer on Vista not adding accounts to the correct security groups.
• Installer now installs Subversion to the correct Program Files folder on 64 bit systems.
• Installer enables ASP.NET 2.0 in IIS if it is not already enabled
• Backup page no longer pre-populates backup account password for new servers