How do I use this bucket of magic?

First off, you’ll need Visual Studio 7.1 or above. We use the AnkhSVN client for VS; you can get it at the official site. You should get that installed first off.

To check out a copy of the source, please do the following:

* Start up Visual Studio
* Go to Tools -> AnkhSVN -> Checkout a repository directory…
* Enter http://svn.gpio.org/ssnt, select a local folder to save it to, and leave everything else as-is.
* Go to File -> Open…, and select the Alpha9.sln file from the folder you checked out the source to. If you’re running Visual Studio 2005 or 2008, you’ll need to convert the project. Answer Yes to any questions from AnkhSVN on wether you want to use it to manage the source.

That should get you up and running. You’ll also need the DirectX SDK to compile the code; as it is, the code seems to reference things in an unsuitable manner, please try to put up with it until we can get it sorted.

SVN usage guidelines

If you’re so lucky that you have write access to the repository, please abide by these rules:

* Mainline should always compile. It may not be stable or run very well, but it must compile without any errors.

* If you’re doing something large and fancy (not just fixing typos or small bugfixes), please create a separate trunk, then merge it into mainline when it works properly, or ideally when it’s done.

* Commit “often enough” - personally, I prefer to commit every time I close Visual Studio, unless things are a mess. Commit before you embark on something that you know is stupid - it’s a lifesaver to be able to check out a working copy if you ruined everything accidentally. Committing only updates the trunk you’re on (or mainline, if you’re not using your own trunk), it doesn’t mess up anything else.

* Non-code resources are currently not included in the repository. We’ll review the policy here later on.

* Acting like an ass will show up beautifully on the SVN blame function, and will result in a swift and decisive application of intense verbal abuse. And potentially loss of privilegies.

If you have any questions, please stop by the forums. Some more information may be found in this newsitem.