svn - Is it possible to use subversion security with file:// repository access method?

Question

Right now i'm trying to narrow a complex subversion problem and performing lots of small tests with creating and accessing repositories normally via file:// protocol. I have tried to add some security to such local repository by setting password-db and authz-db in repository /conf/svnserve.conf but seems svn client ignores such settings while using file:// protocol. Is path security possible at all with file:// protcol or i need to start a svnserve daemon?

Answer 1

Accessing a file:// repository uses the operating system's file functions. You can therefore make use of the filesystem security functionality your OS has: Just configure the permissions to the repository directory via your OS's interface.

For example, to allow only svnserve and members of the group svnusers access to your repository on a classical UNIX system, execute the following as root:

$ chown svnserve:svnusers /my/repository
$ chmod 770 /my/repository