title: How do I convert an existing directory to an SVN working copy (WC) without replacing local files?
body: <p>I have a large Subversion repository with nearly 15 GB of data spread across ~500,000 files. Now I need to check out this repository to a remote host which would take days to complete.</p>
  
  <p>The host I'm checking out to already has a complete copy of the data in the repository. But seeing as the files weren't checked out directly from the repository, they do not constitute a working copy (no ".svn" folders).</p>
  
  <p>I'd like to avoid copying all this data across the network, especially when it already exists on the target host. Is there a trick I can use that will turn a preexisting directory into a working copy without replacing the local files with identical copies from the repository?</p>