SvnRepo2Git: Migrate Your Live SVN Repository to Git

SvnRepo2Git is a command-line tool written in C# designed to migrate a live Subversion (SVN) repository to a Git repository. Unlike tools that rely on SVN dump files, SvnRepo2Git directly interacts with an SVN repository URL to extract revision history and convert it into a Git repository. It leverages libraries like SvnExporter (replace with the actual link) to read SVN data and GitImporter (or your Git interaction library) to create the Git repository.

This tool offers functionalities for direct SVN to Git conversion and author list generation, providing flexibility for different migration needs.

Features

• Live SVN Repository to Git Migration: Converts a live SVN repository directly to a Git repository, eliminating the need for an SVN dump file.
• Direct SVN URL Input: Takes the URL of your SVN repository as direct input.
• Git Repository Creation: Creates a fully functional Git repository mirroring the SVN history.
• Author List Generation: Generates a simple author list from the SVN repository history, useful for creating author mapping files.
• Verbose Output Mode: Provides detailed console output, including previewing file contents (in non-Git mode), using the -v flag.
• Author Email Domain Configuration: Allows setting a default email domain when generating author lists, ensuring all authors have valid email addresses in the output.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK (version 9.0 or higher - specify the minimum required version)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd SvnRepo2Git

2. Build the project:

   dotnet build

   This will create the executable in the SvnRepo2Git/bin/Debug/net9.0 or SvnRepo2Git/bin/Release/net9.0 directory (or similar, depending on your build configuration and .NET version).

Usage

Navigate to the output directory containing the executable (e.g., SvnRepo2Git/bin/Debug/net9.0).

cd SvnRepo2Git/bin/Debug/net9.0

Run the SvnRepo2Git tool with the following command-line arguments:

SvnRepo2Git.exe <svn_repo_url> [--git <git_repo_path>] [--genauthors <e-mail domain>] [-v]

Command-Line Switches:

• <svn_repo_url>: (Required) The URL of the Subversion repository to export. This is the source repository for the conversion (e.g., https://svn.example.com/repo).
• --git <git_repo_path>: (Optional) Specifies the directory where the new Git repository will be created. If not provided, the output will be a console display of the SVN revisions instead of Git conversion. (e.g., --git ./my-git-repo).
• --genauthors <e-mail domain>: (Optional) Enables author list generation mode. Requires specifying an <e-mail domain> which will be used as the default domain for authors without explicitly defined email addresses. This generates an authors.txt file in the current directory. (e.g., --genauthors example.com).
• -v: (Optional) Enables verbose output. This includes previewing file contents in the console output (if not converting to Git) and provides more detailed information during the process.

Examples:

1. Console Output (Preview Content, no Git conversion):

   SvnRepo2Git.exe https://svn.example.com/repo

2. Convert to Git Repository:

   SvnRepo2Git.exe https://svn.example.com/repo --git ./my-git-repo

3. Generate Authors List:

   SvnRepo2Git.exe https://svn.example.com/repo --genauthors example.com

4. Verbose Output with Git Conversion:

   SvnRepo2Git.exe https://svn.example.com/repo --git ./my-git-repo -v

5. Generate Authors List and Verbose Output:

   SvnRepo2Git.exe https://svn.example.com/repo --genauthors example.com -v

Workflow

For a smooth SVN to Git migration, it's recommended to follow these steps:

1. Generate Author List:

   • First, generate an initial author list from your SVN repository. This will create an authors.txt file containing a list of SVN authors and their email addresses (using the provided domain as a default).
   • Use the --genauthors <e-mail domain> switch:

     SvnRepo2Git.exe <svn_repo_url> --genauthors yourdomain.com

   • This step helps you identify all unique authors in your SVN history.

2. Review and Correct Author List (Optional but Recommended):

   • Examine the generated authors.txt file.
   • Correct Email Addresses: If any authors have incorrect or missing email addresses (e.g., using the default domain when a real email exists), manually edit the authors.txt file to provide accurate email addresses.
   • Consolidate Authors (Optional): If you need to merge multiple SVN author names into a single Git author (e.g., due to name variations or service accounts), you can edit the authors.txt file to map these entries to the desired Git author email.
   • Example authors.txt format:

     svnuser1 svnuser1@yourdomain.com
     another_svn_user real.email@example.org
     service_account service@internal.net
     

3. Perform SVN to Git Conversion:

   • Once you have reviewed and (optionally) corrected your author list, you can proceed with the SVN to Git conversion.
   • Use the --git <git_repo_path> switch to specify the output Git repository path.

     SvnRepo2Git.exe <svn_repo_url> --git ./my-git-repo

By following this workflow, you can ensure a more accurate and well-prepared migration of your SVN repository to Git.