A Subversion repository can be accessed simultaneously by clients running on the same machine on which the repository resides using the file:// method. But the typical Subversion setup involves a single server machine being accessed from clients on computers all over the office—or, perhaps, all over the world.

This chapter describes how to get your Subversion repository exposed outside its host machine for use by remote clients. We will cover Subversion's currently available server mechanisms, discussing the configuration and use of each. After reading this section, you should be able to decide which networking setup is right for your needs, and understand how to enable such a setup on your host computer.