Is AnkhSVN a good alternative to Visual SourceSafe?

Question

We had this with Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 6.0d and want to move to SubVersion. Our IDE is Visual Studio 2005, but we plan to return to 2008 soon. We plan to install the VisualSVN server and then use the AnkhSVN add-in for Visual Studio. VisualSVN has a good reputation in the community, so I really believe in that. However, I have not heard much about AnkhSVN. We have a small development team and we don’t need any fancy features besides being used to Visual SourceSafe. Has anyone out there in StackOverflowLand done the same thing as me? If so, would you recommend it (as opposed to upgrading to SourceSafe 2005)?

Answer 1

I moved from VSS to SVN using AnkhSVN in combination with TortoiseSVN. I had no problems making changes. IMO is a much better work environment.

I used both in a team environment and SVN in solo enterprises. For solo ventures, SVN is definitely the way to go, much faster. In a team environment, I still prefer SVN, although some people really like the VSS features. I prefer the locking functions that SVN provides when checking.

Answer 2

We use AnkhSVN here, and I am very pleased with it.

The only problem we are faced with is that because of a poorly designed repository, it sometimes tries to update (checkout) the entire repository when you go on updating only the solution from VisualStudio.

This is also important because someone else who spent time first in VSS and later switched to SVN should be aware that SVN usually does not block files in the same way a secure source does. Instead of locking files, so only one developer makes changes at a time, he allows several developers to work in the same file at the same time and tells developers to merge after the first has made his changes. Just something ready.

Answer 3

I have never used Visual SourceSafe, but I have used Subversion a lot. AnkhSVN makes synchronization between solution and SVN much more painless than using TortoiseSVN or command line.

So yes, it works great.

Answer 4

We switched to SVN using the VisualSVN server, where I work about 2 years ago. The best thing we have ever done. Visual SourceSafe is a bunch of crap in comparison. I would use the VisualSVN plugin, but instead of Ankh. I found that Ankh does not always understand everything correctly, and sometimes I do not have the files that I added to SVN. VS VisualSVN works like a dream. There was never a problem with this, and it was well worth the money.

Set up continuous integration while you're on it (if you haven't already). Team City is the one we use, and it integrates very easily with SVN.

Answer 5

Yes. I am currently using your proposed combination of VisualSVN as the SVN repository server and AnkhSVN as a plug-in for Visual Studio 2008 Pro as my SCM for my home projects. I found the combination very stable and, after setting up the repository correctly, a very intuitive setup that integrates well with VS2008.

As an added bonus, you can also directly open the solution from the SVN repository, either from the local VisualSVN, or from external repositories such as Google Code.

I highly recommend this combination, and now I would like to get away from using TortoiseSVN sooner.

Answer 6

I have been using AnkhSVN (1 year) for a while and I am not complaining about it. I also used TortoiseSVN for CVS, and it is very nice, but the fact that ANKhSVN is integrated into the IDE for me is very useful and easier to process all changes, view the history and everything else. I recommend it a lot, but it is a matter of everyone’s choice.

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

My company just switched from VSS6 to SVN, AnkhSVN and Tortoise. After many studies, this was the way to go. So far, it has been a much better experience. Of course, moving the version controls takes a little work, but once that is done, do it.

One thing to keep in mind is it's free! If you have some utilities or a small project, why not try it with svn so you can see for yourself how AnkhSVN works. You can go with other recommendations, but this is how you feel with the tool. This way you can test it until it is fully executed.

Related topics:

Svn? Vss? Who is better than the other?

How to convince my team to abandon sourcesafe and switch to SVN?

VSS SVN for .Net project

What you need to read in Subversion:

Learning Basics Guide

Good reference

And just a great quote:

"Visual SourceSafe? It would be safer to print all your code, run it through the chopper and set it on fire." - (Attributed to an unidentified Microsoft employee).

Answer 8

We used Ankh for a while, but found that it really slowed down loading large solutions (20+ projects). In the end, using TortoiseSVN directly from the project folder and skipping VS IDE integration was not only faster, but developers were forced to think about what they were doing in the repository. At first there was a small learning curve, but in the end, everyone now has a better understanding of how SVN works, which, in my opinion, is invaluable.

Update: I am using the new version of AnkhSVN, and it has been greatly improved thanks to the efforts of 1.x. And we got a lot of new developers who were unfamiliar with SVN in general, and broken assemblies due to forgetting to add a file to the repository have decreased significantly since they started using AnkhSVN, because it automatically processes it.

Answer 9

I use a combination of SmartSVN, and Ankh integration in Visual Studio is a winner. They sit side by side very well.

VSS was terrible, but the ability to use it in the VS IDE was its only plus point.

Answer 10

Go for it - Tortoisesvn is part of the deal and helps with versioning tasks outside of the IDE. Everything is better than SourceSafe.

Answer 11

VSS was fine when I used it, but its list of primitive features and terrible corruption issues that I can handle. SVN is a good source of control. Just make sure you learn how to use it before you begin. I will say that, I am not a fan of the svn turtle. It spreads throughout the file system and insists on running some processes in the background, which I don't prefer (you might not care). I think Ankh is enough to work against SVN; I had no problems (or I don’t remember) when I used it.

Answer 12

We migrated the VisualSVN server a year ago from VSS. The best thing we have ever done. With a low entry price for VisualSVN, you might be better off making a purchase if you need support. I have never had a problem with VisualSVN. We had normal stuff with TortoiseSVN (cleanup / update issues), but VisualSVN worked like a charm.

Answer 13

I used VisualSVN and AnkhSVN in a command environment. Personally, I prefer VisualSVN.

The odd point with AnkhSVN is that it writes some records to project files (I forgot if it was a .csproj or .sln file), which indicates that Ankh controls the source control. Now, if you are in a team environment and the other person in the team did not install Ankh and did not open this solution, it will display an error message indicating that the specified source was not found, do you want to remove it? If they select yes, then he deletes the anch entries from the files, and then person A on the team will no longer use the anch.

In short, if you have> 1 developer who will use it, make sure everyone is using or not using Ankh.

Also, I had no real problems.