Introduction

Altium Designer is a powerful electronic design automation (EDA) software that is widely used by engineers and designers for creating printed circuit boards (PCBs). One of the key features of Altium Designer is its integration with version control systems like Subversion (SVN), which allows teams to collaborate on projects and track changes over time. However, users may sometimes encounter errors when working with SVN in Altium Designer, such as “commit failed” or “working copy locked.” In this article, we will explore these errors in detail and provide solutions to help you resolve them.

What is Subversion (SVN)?

Subversion (SVN) is a popular version control system that allows multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously. It keeps track of changes made to files and directories, and allows users to revert to previous versions if needed. SVN is widely used in software development and other collaborative projects, including PCB design with Altium Designer.

Altium Designer and SVN Integration

Altium Designer integrates with SVN to provide version control capabilities for PCB design projects. This integration allows teams to collaborate on projects, track changes, and manage revisions effectively. However, users may sometimes encounter errors when working with SVN in Altium Designer, which can disrupt the workflow and cause frustration.

Common SVN Errors in Altium Designer

1. Commit Failed

One of the most common SVN errors in Altium Designer is “commit failed.” This error occurs when a user tries to commit changes to the SVN repository, but the operation fails due to various reasons. Some of the possible causes of this error include:

• Lack of permissions: The user may not have sufficient permissions to commit changes to the repository.
• Conflicts: There may be conflicts between the user’s local changes and the changes made by other users in the repository.
• Network issues: The connection to the SVN server may be unstable or interrupted, causing the commit operation to fail.

2. Working Copy Locked

Another common SVN error in Altium Designer is “working copy locked.” This error occurs when a user tries to perform an operation on a working copy that is already locked by another user or process. Some of the possible causes of this error include:

• Multiple users accessing the same working copy: If multiple users are accessing the same working copy simultaneously, one user may lock the working copy, preventing others from making changes.
• Incomplete or interrupted operations: If a previous SVN operation was interrupted or did not complete successfully, the working copy may remain locked.
• Stale locks: In some cases, the SVN server may fail to release locks properly, resulting in stale locks that prevent users from accessing the working copy.

3. Is Already Locked

Similar to the “working copy locked” error, the “is already locked” error occurs when a user tries to lock a file or directory that is already locked by another user or process. This error can occur when multiple users are working on the same project and trying to lock the same resources simultaneously.

Solutions to SVN Errors in Altium Designer

1. Resolving Commit Failed Errors

To resolve “commit failed” errors in Altium Designer, you can try the following solutions:

• Check permissions: Ensure that you have sufficient permissions to commit changes to the SVN repository. Contact your SVN administrator if you need assistance with permissions.
• Resolve conflicts: If there are conflicts between your local changes and the changes in the repository, you need to resolve them before committing. Use the SVN client or Altium Designer’s version control features to merge the changes and resolve conflicts.
• Check network connection: Ensure that you have a stable network connection to the SVN server. If you are working remotely, try connecting to a different network or contact your IT support for assistance.

2. Resolving Working Copy Locked Errors

To resolve “working copy locked” errors in Altium Designer, you can try the following solutions:

• Close Altium Designer: Sometimes, simply closing Altium Designer and reopening it can release the lock on the working copy.
• Manually release lock: If the lock persists, you may need to manually release it using the