------------------ Creating the Subversion repository
svnadmin create /var/preserve/config

------------------ create trunk/ and tags/ for snapshots

svn create file:///var/preserve/config/trunk/ file:///var/preserve/config/tags/ -m 'Creating trunk and tags directories'

------------------ Preparing the configuration directory
svn checkout file:///var/preserve/config/trunk/ /etc

cd /etc
svn status
svn add *
svn commit  -m 'Initial addition of files'
svn status /etc
use svn add to add files to the working copy, and then svn commit the added
files into the repository.
------------------ view the log and audit changes
svn log /etc (--verbose)
svn diff -r first:last /etc

------------------ snapshot the configuration and travel between snapshots
svn copy file:///var/preserve/config/trunk file:///var/preserve/config/tags/a-snapshot  (the name of the snapshot)

------------------ 
svn diff \
file:///var/preserve/config/tags/a-snapshot file:///var/preserve/config/tags/a-newer-snapshot

svn diff \
file:///var/preserve/config/tags/old-snap file:///var/preserve/config/tags/trunk

------------------ making the whole /etc and its contents go to a known state
cd /etc; svn switch file:///var/preserve/config/tags/known-state