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I wish to use a certificate with Linux command-line svn.

I obtained my certificate using IE on Windows, and exported it. Then I copied it to Linux. Here's my experience (below). I'd like to a) fix what's wrong here and b) understand the relationship between Subversion and Apache in the case where the repository isn't on my local host, but on a remote host.

In Googling to figure out a solution and understand it, I keep seeing Apache installation and configuration instructions. Is it the case that, despite not hosting the repository locally or making it available to others from my host, I still must install and configure Apache? Those discussions always seem to fall in the context of serving up a repository to others and I'm not trying to do that.

I'm only trying to consume a Subversion repository from a remote host in my company using a certificate generated by my company's certificate authority.

russ@russ-elite-book:~/certificates> ll
total 4
-rw-r--r-- 1 russ russ 4060 2010-12-07 15:36 mybadge.pfx

russ@russ-elite-book:~/certificates> svn co https://xyz.acme.com/svn/xyz/trunk
Authentication realm: https://xyz.acme.com:443
Client certificate filename: ./mybadge.pfx
Passphrase for '/home/russ/certificates/mybadge.pfx': 
svn: Server sent unexpected return value (403 Forbidden) in response to OPTIONS \
       request for 'https://xyz.acme.com/svn/xyz/trunk'

Copious thanks to any and all who can help.

Russ

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  • The block from your apache config file where it sets up the certificate authentication would probably be helpful as well. Commented Dec 8, 2010 at 16:03
  • I did go to try it on Windows and TortoiseSVN. It failed similarly. So, this answers both questions, I think: a) my certificate appears bad (so I'll have to take that up with the issuing authority) and b) I do not have to mess with Apache vhost configuration files and the like, at least not unless I want not to have to type in the path to the cert--something for another moment once any of this works. Commented Dec 8, 2010 at 17:12

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Most likely, based on that response, your certificate doesn't have permission to access that svn host; it is probably a permissions issue on the server.

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Finally worked out late yesterday... it turns out that the issuing authority simply had wrong information about me and couldn't issue a cert that matched me. This is a clue that sometimes, if rarely, it's not idiocy on the part of the user. The red tape between me and the issuing authority made it take a long time to solve this. I consider this issue closed and I've given all the information I can to help anyone else out who has this problem.

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