Using a self signed SSL certificate for SVN with redmine and Apache

This is applicable on CentOS 5.2 and Apache 2.0/2.2

This should work on most Apache installations, when they are run as an Apache type user, that has no login rights. Indeed under normal circumstances you would just login and do a SVN checkout and permenantly accept the certificate, however Apache cannot use this cert. So it is possible to allow them to use it.

So first determine that your Apache is running:

service httpd start

Does not matter if it is running, this will achieve the desired effect. If Apache has not started then that is a different matter.

To determine that the user that is running Apache:
cat /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf | grep 'User'
(if it is something different from apache then replace the name below)

Now check that there directory is indeed /var/www:
cat /etc/passwd | grep 'apache'

The users directory is the first listed, e.g.:
apache:x:48:48:Apache:/var/www:/sbin/nologin

This will return the apache user's dir (if it is different from /var/www replace it below)

Now get the certficate for the root user (or another user, just replace root here)
cd /tmp
svn --username "user" --password pass co https://your.svn.repo/svn/project delete-me # assuming auth
#Accept cert permenantly by press p
rm -rf /tmp/delete-me
cp -R /root/.subversion /var/www/.subversion
rm -rf /var/www/.subversion/auth/svn.simple
rm -rf /var/www/.subversion/auth/svn.username
# If you have changed the apache user from the apache Group, then use appropriate group
chown -R apache:apache /var/www/.subversion
service httpd restart

Apache, redmine and subversion should all work now.