okay...so...you...tested and glanced at a smattering of version control systems....
I can understand the familiarity with svn, with cvs..
however, given the sheer size of the code, the number of individual sub-systems within this code, and the potential for so many people to be working on these subsystems independently, it is much easier to test individual ideas within git, or darcs, or bzr, than it is to deal with svn.
I know i'm pressing hard on this issue, but i want you all to seriously consider and weigh the pros and cons. SVN and CVS are badly suited for this project in the long run.
-Thom