On OSX, svn: This client is too old to work with working copy ‘.’; please get a newer Subversion client

March 16, 2009 at 12:08 pm · Topics: Apple, SVN, Web Development

I got this message when trying to use Subversion on OS X through Terminal.

I checked out my svn version using “svn –version” and it said I was using 1.4.4 – so I decided to update. Here’s how…

Download the latest SVN binaries for OS X and install them just like any other program:
http://svnbinaries.open.collab.net/

Update your system wide path settings by editing /etc/profile through the Terminal:

$ cd /etc/
$ sudo vi profile

At the top of the file, add the following line of text, then save and quit vi.

export PATH=/opt/subversion:$PATH

Then rename the old binary:

$ cd /usr/bin
$ sudo mv svn svn.old
$ cd ~
$ svn --version

And you should see the later version (mine is 1.5.5) and all is good.

Thanks to http://www.imarichardson.com/2008/10/06/osx-svn-woes-client-is-too-old-to-work-with-working-copy/

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4 Comments

  1. Richard Crowley said,

    March 16, 2009 @ 4:58 pm

    Assuming MacPorts and `export PATH=”/opt/local/bin:$PATH”, just `sudo port install subversion` will do the trick, too.

  2. sakthi said,

    December 24, 2009 @ 3:14 am

    I can’t install upgraded version of svn, because i am not the sudo user. I am also getting “svn: This client is too old to work with working copy ‘.’; please get a newer Subversion client”, while doing anything with SVN. Please help to fix this.

  3. ssss said,

    December 24, 2009 @ 3:17 am

    Please someone reply soon!

  4. chepotenza said,

    May 16, 2012 @ 5:44 am

    Thanks, worked like a charm!

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