Tortoise svn version for server version 1.5.5
Tortoisesvn has its own internal svn libraries and does not rely on a command line client on the machine.
If you are going to work with the same working copy with the command line client svn and tortoisesvn, they must be in the same dot version, either 1.5 or 1.6, etc.
If you are using tortoisesvn 1.6 to look at a working copy it will immediately and silently update it to 1.6 layout. Then the 1.5 command line client will no longer be able to perform any operations on this working copy.
The same is true if you are using 1.6 command line and 1.5 turtles.
In terms of server interaction, however, there is no problem with 1.6 clients talking to 1.5 server or vice versa. 1.6 the servers will provide all the functionality that a client expects 1.5. 1.6 clients will know that Server 1.5 will not provide new features and will take this into account.
So, you can upgrade your server separately from your clients. Everyone can upgrade their clients at their own pace. But everyone should update all clients on their machine at the same time to avoid blocking tools from working copies.
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From the compatibility matrix, client 1.6.x is compatible with server 1.5.x (although the newest client features won't work), so you should probably use TortoiseSVN version 1.6.5 (i.e. the most recent one)
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I've never seen subversion break an existing interface when creating new functions. This means that all tools written for the newer version still work with the old ones. It also meant that older tools worked with newer versions of subversion.
I remember reading one of my version compatibility docs, stating that only full numbered releases would be "change breaking". I think we better hang up when 2.0 arrives.
I always use the latest version of Tortoise, unless I work in a group with older versions already installed. Even then, I usually only have to inform them that a newer version exists. (Free updates are good!)
- EDIT -
Check out Jim T's "gotcha" about keeping all clients in sync on the same machine. If you are going to use a command line client, or another client that uses a command line client, make sure you are using a turtle that matches it.
I would go with the latter if I started from scratch.
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The definitive guide to understanding svn client / server compatibility.
TortoiseSVN will tell you (TortoiseSVN → About) which version of the svn client it has created.
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