Bug#347456: subversion: svn doesn't like it if folders already exist

[Thorsten Gunkel]

Package: subversion
Version: 1.1.4-2
Severity: wishlist

Hi, I (mis-)use subversion to store some parts of my filesystem.
e.g.
 # svn add --non-recursive /etc/
 # svn add /etc/fstab

to add (only) /etc/fstab but not for example /etc/passwd

However when I want to do a checkout on another machine svn will complain
because etc already exists:

 # svn update
 svn: Working copy 'etc' is missing or not locked

I know of at least two possibilities* to convince svn to accept etc as one of
'his' folders but I would find it very convenient if svn would integrate
folders that already exists automatically or if it would offer an option to
do so.

regards
 Thorsten

*) 1. Move the folder temporary away and let svn recreate it
      (however you probably don't want to move /etc away, even temporary)
   2. Get the /etc/.svn subfolder from somewhere else and copy it into your
      etc folder

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.12.2
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8 at euro, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 at euro (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages subversion depends on:
ii  db4.2-util             4.2.52-18         Berkeley v4.2 Database Utilities
ii  libapr0                2.0.54-5          the Apache Portable Runtime
ii  libc6                  2.3.2.ds1-22      GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii  libdb4.2               4.2.52-18         Berkeley v4.2 Database Libraries [
ii  libexpat1              1.95.8-3          XML parsing C library - runtime li
ii  libldap2               2.1.30-8          OpenLDAP libraries
ii  libneon24              0.24.7.dfsg-2     An HTTP and WebDAV client library
ii  libssl0.9.7            0.9.7e-3sarge1    SSL shared libraries
ii  libsvn0                1.1.4-2           shared libraries used by Subversio
ii  libxml2                2.6.16-7          GNOME XML library
ii  patch                  2.5.9-2           Apply a diff file to an original
ii  zlib1g                 1:1.2.2-4.sarge.2 compression library - runtime

-- no debconf information