This morning we posted binaries of the Subversion 1.5 Release Candidate 8 (RC8). Compared to RC7 this release candidate contains a few translation updates and an API compatibility fix that does not affect the command line.

Another release candidate with minor changes might come. Yesterday RC9 was proposed (based on build r31577). RC9 fixes a potential issue in the working copy when you checkout with the new –-depth feature. RC9 is “out for signatures,” meaning that the Subversion developers are voting whether or not to release it. We’ll keep you updated.

Considering that the changes in RC8 and RC9 are minor and unlikely to destabilize, the Subversion developers decided not to restart the soak period (the time to test a Release Candidate before it is called the final release). So, unless users find showstopper bugs, Subversion will probably release next week or the week after.

You can download RC8 binaries from openCollabNet (Windows, Red Hat Linux, and Mac OS X). Please test RC8 and report any issues in the forum.

Btw: The release notes for Subversion 1.5 are nearing completion. You can view the Subversion 1.5 release notes on Tigris.org. A full list of SVN 1.5 changes is available as well. Neither of these documents is final of course.