Subversion (SVN)

Subversion is a tool to manage software revisions and release control in a multi-developer, multi-directory, multi-group environment. It comes in very handy to maintain local modifications.

Thus, SVN helps you if you are part of a group of people working on the same project. In large software development projects, it's usually necessary for more than one software developer to be modifying modules of the code at the same time. Without SVN, it is all too easy to overwrite each others' changes unless you are extremely careful.

In addition, SVN helps to keep track of all changes. Therefore, the SVN server has been setup to mail all SVN commits to a mailing list. Thus, it does not require any effort to inform the other people about the work you have done, and by reading the mails everyone is kept up to date.

The best reference for general subversion questions is the free subversion book.