How To Set Up Subversion, svnX, for TextDrive on OS X

I’m walking through the latest beta version of Agile Web Development with Rails 2nd Edition, specifically the new bits on deploying Rails apps. Capistrano – the preferred and recommended deployment utility. Thing is – Capistrano hinges on Subversion. Not something covered in AWDwR or appropriate to be covered. There’s plenty of other books on the subject.

Though, that left me stuck on how to set up a Subversion repository and access it.

I do my hosting at TextDrive, and in the interest of making this process just a hair simpler, I set up my svn repository there. Here’s how I did it:

  1. Set up repository on TextDrive domain in webmin.[your-server].textdrive.com:80.
    There’s a ‘subversion repository’ menu option right when you sign-in.
  2. Assign svn access rights to a TextDrive domain user.
    It’s a radio button and select list selection in their profile.
  3. Install Subversion on your local Mac – I did via macports
  4. Install svnX and in svnX preferences, confirm your path to svn in svnX (macports uses /opt/local/bin)
  5. Import your project into the TextDrive repository
    svn import /Users/your/local/path/to/the/app http://[your-domain]/svn/[repository-name]/ -m 'initial import' --username=[your-svn-account-name]
  6. Connect svnX to the repository
    Path: http://[your-domain]/svn/[your-repository-name]
    User: [your-svn-user-name]
    Pass: [your-svn-user-name-pass]
  7. Check out your project back on to your mac by clicking the ‘svn checkoutexport‘ button and picking a directory to put it (not your original directory). I created an /svn directory within my main project directory.
  8. Now, if everything worked, double-clicking the repository should load it up in a new window.
  9. I’ve got a weird proxy between me and the internet right now, so I’ll make sure the commits work tomorrow. UPDATE: Yep, it works. Yah!

MN Governor e-Debate 2006 First Impressions

Steven Clift is moderating the 2006 MN Gubernatorial candidate e-dbate. I’ve been following along via the RSS feed. Ever day a new question – perfect.

This is exactly how I like my politics – integrated into how I do everything already (RSS).

The questions are good, the answers are surprisingly good considering it’s a ‘political debate’. I credit Steven’s format: the candidates aren’t live and aren’t in the same room – and his intro kick-off video.

Even a couple questions in, it’s obvious who the serious candidates are (Pawlenty, Hatch). It’s great that the other candidates are running, and kudos to everyone for participating in the e-debate. I still don’t get being a single-issue candidate, just fixing the issue seems like a much more direct way of changing things than gambling on winning an election.

Leo Laporte Gives Up on Podcasting

I’ve subscribed to the Daily Giz Wiz for quite a while now – the combination of goofy banter, unloved gadgets, generally silliness, and it’s brevity makes for great podcasting. It’s the only TWIT-family podcast I was still subscribed.

Unfortunately, in today’s – #166 – the new TWIT intro calls it a ‘netcast’.

Lame. What’s a ‘netcast’? Do I need a boat and a body of water?

I heard Laporte’s rational for attempting to change the name at the recent 2006 PodcastExpo – he wants Apple to claim trademark of ‘podcast’. A term and media form developed by the podcast community – not Apple.

Double Lame. Rather than standing up to Apple, supporting the podcast community, simplifying the explanation for new listeners, keeping things simple for existing listeners – Laporte gives up.

Like Dave Winer said about RSS vs Atom: Two is more than twice as bad.

This thing – a multimedia file distributed via an RSS feed – is a podcast.

I’m unsubbing from DGW until it’s called a ‘podcast’ or at least a ‘clambake‘. I can’t support a name change and the software I’m using only understands ‘podcasts’.

RELATED 06 APRIL 2007

” I’m afraid, I can’t have anything to do with Twitter, either. It’s just fueling the confusion [with TWiT].” – Leo Laporte

I completely agree with Tony @ Deep Jive Interests when he says:

“I just don’t see what [leaving Twitter] is going to solve.”

This is another silly publicity stunt from the big twit.

RELATED 09 NOV 2007

“I surrender Twitter. You win.” – Leo Laporte

Odeo Disconnects

“As of November 1, 2006, Odeo phone posting will no longer accept calls. We will continue to host and serve all MP3s made with the service indefinitely, but you will no longer be able to use it to post new audio.”

Until moments ago, I would recommend Odeo and Hipcast (formerly Audioblog.com) as the easiest way to get podcasting – just sign up and call the phone number they give you. (Odeo free, Hipcast small fee)

Boom. Mass voicemail.

Outside of that, I wasn’t sure what Odeo had unique and compelling from so many of the other players in the space (is it a directory?, a studio?, a social network?, an aggregator?). Only their post-by-phone clicked for me. I guess it didn’t click for anyone else.

Kudos to Hipcast for charging from the beginning and ensuring a greater permanence than a free, resource-intensive service.

Many thanks to Eric Rice for clarifying the difference between Hipcast and AudioBlogger.com (the post-by-phone engine behind Odeo). For quite a while, I thought they were one in the same. Real glad they’re not.