[OS X TeX] Version controls for LaTeX book production

[Alain Schremmer]

On Nov 12, 2007, at 12:13 PM, Simon Spiegel wrote:

>
> On 12.11.2007, at 17:22, André Bellaïche wrote:
>
>> Just a few naïve questions. How do you use Subversion? Via command  
>> line? By moving icons? For diff, do you need a large screen to  
>> display the files side-by-side? Is it freeware?
>
> svn is free and it comes by default as a command line tool. It's  
> pre-installed on Leopard and there are pre-compiled binaries for  
> earlier versions of OSX (for example: http://homepage.mac.com/ 
> martinott/ ).

Being on my break, I thought I would take a look even though, like  
Gratzer, my natural, quasi reactionary inclination is just to backup  
(with Retrospect too but what an immense drag!)

Anyway, I clicked on Ott's My Subversion-1.4.4 Package, got a  
package, installed it and now I have no idea where the application  
is. Not that I care as long as it does not do anything to my TeX  
installation which I don't see how it could.

So, OK, I read on:

> Once you've installed the binary you can either use as command line  
> tool or you can use a GUI. svnX is free and is quite nice.

Ah!, a nice GUI! I googled svnx and found "the thing" that Schulz and  
Heine had already mentioned. So, I downloaded that too. Then I  
started reading the Read Me:

	If you are new to Subversion
	You should definitely get familiar with Subversion before using svnX!

I thought that this was reasonable particularly as I then got to:

	The book is available in html or pdf : http://svnbook.red-bean.com/

I was going to get to it when I read the next line:

	Also, learn the command-line basics.

No way! I am terminally allergic to the terminal!

and the next one

	Anyway, you won't be able to set up a server or repository with svnX.

That did it for this install-impaired old man.

Reading a bit more ahead confirmed that ott's package was the way to  
go but then, further down, with "A few things to know" I got to be  
totally out of my depth.

Well, I tried, and, at least for a while, it looked like this might  
be a nice toy to play with on my  breaks. (Just to make sure, I don't  
mean this in any derogatory sense: playing is my way of learning. I  
played with TeXShop before I entrusted the magnum opus to it.)

So, back to Retrospect and no more.

Regards
--schremmer

P.S. I also looked at  SCPlugin but chickened out real fast.