How do I start with working Sub-Version + Delphi?

Here's a great guide for integrating TortoiseSVN with Delphi's "Tools" menu.

This site shows how to add the following into the IDE:

1. svn Commit: Opens the TortoiseSVN commit window.

2. svn Diff: Shows diffs for the file currently being edited. (If you've configured an external diff viewer like Beyond Compare, this will use it.)

3. svn Modifications: Opens the TortoiseSVN modifications window, which shows a list of all modified files.

4. svn Update: Updates your working copy with the latest changes from the repository.

If you don't have Ruby installed (as the guide suggests using), simply replace it with a simple online batch file instead:

"c:/program files/tortoisesvn/bin/tortoiseproc.exe" /command:%1 /path:%2 /notempfile

Then create the Tools items with:

Program: c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

Parameters: /C C:\SvnPas\Utils\Batch\SvnCmd.Bat diff $EDNAME $SAVEALL

SVN is only the backbone of the SCM, no front-end?

Basically, SVN is a console application. If you don't like to type all the commands in console, use a SVN front-end.

Why is there several versions of Windows Binaries? Tigris? SlikSVN? VisualSVN?

Each of them customize SVN installation. For example, VisualSVN Server installs SVN + Apache on Windows, by asking you a few questions in wizards, and configures SVN and Apache based on your answers automatically.

Do I need a Web Server like Apache in order to use SVN?

No, it is not necessary.

There's dozens of front-end, Tortoise, WinSVN, etc... Which one is recommended?

In my opinion, for Windows, TortoiseSVN is the best.

The whole thing is rather confusing and I got no idea where to start. I'm using Delphi and would like to use it to store my source files. First of all, take a look at SVN Help which is published as an electronic book, and explains things very well. If you are using TortoiseSVN, I recommend you reading its help file, because it integrates SVN help into its help file.

For Delphi integration, you can use TSVNWizard which is an open-source Delphi expert bringing TortoiseSVN interface into Delphi IDE: http://delphiaddinfortortoisesvn.tigris.org/tsvnWizard.pas

This is the fastest way to do get started

Download, install and setup VisualSVN Server. It's free and well integrated into windows. Add users and groups → create your repository.

Download and install TortoiseSVN client. It's free and well integrated into windows.

Make a dir, right click → "SVN Checkout" → Enter your rep on your SVN server. Copy files in that dir → right click → "SVN Commit".

Right clik on DCU file → rigth click → "Add to ignore list" → "*.dcu";

You can ignore DSK, DOF, CFG, LOCAL extensions.

Work on your project → do SVN Commit from time to time; read more abut SVN.

If you want to fetch what other people changed: right click → "SVN Updte".