Because I make use of MacPorts to install my developmental tools on Mac OS X, installing or updating Subversion is simple, consisting of a single command line.
Install MacPorts
If you don’t already have MacPorts, go ahead and install it. MacPorts depends upon Xcode and the Xcode Command Line Tool. Instructions for installing both are provided on the MacPorts website.
Notes:
- MacPorts is specific to the Mac OS X version, so download and install the correct version.
- After you install the Xcode Developer Tools (free from the Mac’s App Store), run this Terminal command to install the Command Line Developer Tools:
xcode-select --install
Update MacPorts
Before installing or updating Subversion, you will want to update MacPorts by issuing this command:
Install Subversion
To install Subversion, issue a MacPorts command to install it like so:
The Subversion JavaHL Bindings (“subversion-javahlbindings”) package is necessary to support integration with Eclipse, specifically using the Subclipse plugin. Thank heaven that MacPorts got around to supporting the Subversion JavaHL Bindings installation. Before, I had to manually find a compatible version of the JavaHL Bindings, download, and install it myself.
Note: When installing the Eclipse Subclipse plugin, you will need to select the specific Subclipse version that uses a Subversion version that is the same as your installed Subversion and JavaHL Bindings. The version numbers don’t match so you will need to look at the Subclipse documentation to determine which version of Subclipse to install. For example, Subclipse 1.10 uses the latest Subversion 1.8.
Update Subversion
You can update Subversion specifically or update all outdated MacPorts-installed packages by issuing these commands:
sudo port –v upgrade subversion subversion-javahlbindings
# Update all outdated installed packages including Subversion
sudo port -v upgrade outdated
Install or Update Subclipse
To install or update the Eclipse Subclipse plugin, you will use the same installation instructions. Subclipse doesn’t have a separate update mechanism. To update Subclipse, you would basically install a newer version of it (without needing to remove the older version first).
Note: Eclipse has a menu item, Help->Check for Updates, which will update itself and supported plugins; unfortunately, Subclipse does not support this function.
To install or update Subclipse, follow these steps:
- Go to Eclipse menu: Help->Install New Software…
- Input “http://subclipse.tigris.org/update_1.10.x” into the “Work with” field and the table will be updated with installation packages available at that location. (Note: Subclipse 1.10 uses the latest Subversion 1.8.)
- Check just the Subclipse package and keep clicking Next until the end. Half-way through, you will be asked to accept the license agreement. Select the “I accept the terms of the license agreements” radio button and click Finish.
- You will get a security warning popup with the message, “Warning: You are installing software that contains unsigned content.” Click the OK button to proceed.
- Eclipse will need to restart. You will be prompted with a “Software Updates” popup asking “You will need to restart Eclipse for the changes to take effect. Would you like to restart now?” Answer Yes.
Use Older Subversion
MacPorts allows you to select an older version of its packages for use, instead of using the latest version. This is useful in case you do an update and realize that you can’t use the latest version of a particular package, perhaps due to software version incompatibility with one of your tools or applications. For example, because the latest version of Subclipse may not support the latest version of Subversion, you may need to force the use of the previous version of Subversion.
To see all the installed versions of Subversion, run this command:
You should see something like the following output:
subversion @1.7.10_1
subversion @1.8.8_0 (active)
subversion-javahlbindings @1.7.8_2
subversion-javahlbindings @1.7.10_0
subversion-javahlbindings @1.8.8_0 (active)
To activate the previous version of Subversion, use these commands:
sudo port activate subversion-javahlbindings @1.7.10_0
If you are using the latest Subversion and want to uninstall all the older versions, run either of these commands:
sudo port uninstall subversion @1.7.10_1
sudo port uninstall subversion-javahlbindings @1.7.10_0
# To uninstall inactive versions for all packages including Subversion
sudo port uninstall inactive
I’m very glad that MacPorts exist to make installations and updates so painless.
Eclipse Keeps Asking For Subversion Password
I encountered a bug where Eclipse kept prompting me to input the Subversion password whenever I attempted to run a Subversion command such as update. Even though I checked the save password option, Eclipse would still prompt me each time. I did not encounter this issue using the command line Subversion, so I thought it was a Subclipse bug.
Turns out that this was an Eclipse bug, involving how Eclipse interacted with the Mac OS X Keychain where the subversion password was stored. I used the solution found at the bottom of this page, Subclipse 1.10.0 not saving passwords, to update the Eclipse code signature, which eliminated the password prompts.
Quit Eclipse and run this command:
Run Eclipse and issue a Subversion command like update. If you get a Keychain access dialog, select “Always Allow”.
Note: The above command will also fix the problem where the latest Eclipse Mars.2 version keeps asking for permission to “Accept Incoming Network Connections” on startup. Just run the “codesign” command and you will need to answer that prompt once only.