Installation and Setup: Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Ruby on Various Operating Systems

Posted on by Shakti Das

Ruby is a dynamic, open-source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a beginner, setting up Ruby on your system is the first step towards building powerful applications. This guide will walk you through the installation process for Ruby on various operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Installing Ruby on Windows

Using RubyInstaller

RubyInstaller is the easiest way to set up Ruby on a Windows system.

  1. Download RubyInstaller:
  1. Run the Installer:
  • Run the downloaded installer.
  • Follow the prompts to complete the installation. Ensure that you check the option to add Ruby to your PATH.
  1. Run ridk install:
  • After the installation, a command prompt window will appear. Type ridk install to install the MSYS2 Devkit, which provides essential tools for building native C/C++ extensions.
  1. Verify Installation:
  • Open a new command prompt and type:
    sh ruby -v
  • You should see the Ruby version number, confirming a successful installation.

Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

For a more Unix-like environment, you can use WSL to run Ruby on Windows.

  1. Enable WSL:
  • Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
    sh wsl --install
  • Restart your computer if prompted.
  1. Install a Linux Distribution:
  • Open the Microsoft Store, search for a Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu), and install it.
  1. Set Up Ruby:
  • Open the installed Linux distribution from the Start menu.
  • Update package lists:
    sh sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
  • Install Ruby using a version manager like rbenv or rvm (see Linux instructions below).

Installing Ruby on macOS

Using Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that makes installing software a breeze.

  1. Install Homebrew:
  • Open Terminal and run:
    sh /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  1. Install Ruby:
  • With Homebrew installed, run:
    sh brew install ruby
  1. Update Your PATH:
  • Add Homebrew’s Ruby to your PATH by adding the following line to your ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bash_profile if you’re using Bash):
    sh export PATH="/usr/local/opt/ruby/bin:$PATH"
  • Apply the changes:
    sh source ~/.zshrc
  1. Verify Installation:
  • Check the Ruby version:
    sh ruby -v

Using rbenv

rbenv is a popular version manager for Ruby, allowing you to install and manage multiple Ruby versions.

  1. Install rbenv:
  • Run:
    sh brew install rbenv
  1. Set Up rbenv:
  • Add rbenv to your shell by adding the following to your ~/.zshrc:
    sh eval "$(rbenv init -)"
  • Apply the changes:
    sh source ~/.zshrc
  1. Install Ruby:
  • Find the version you want to install:
    sh rbenv install -l
  • Install the desired version:
    sh rbenv install 3.1.2 rbenv global 3.1.2
  1. Verify Installation:
  • Check the Ruby version:
    sh ruby -v

Installing Ruby on Linux

Using APT (Debian/Ubuntu)

  1. Update Package Lists:
  • Open Terminal and run:
    sh sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
  1. Install Ruby:
  • Install Ruby with:
    sh sudo apt install ruby-full
  1. Verify Installation:
  • Check the Ruby version:
    sh ruby -v

Using rbenv

rbenv is also a great option for Linux systems.

  1. Install Dependencies:
  • Install required dependencies:
    sh sudo apt update sudo apt install -y git-core curl zlib1g-dev build-essential libssl-dev libreadline-dev libyaml-dev libsqlite3-dev sqlite3 libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev software-properties-common libffi-dev
  1. Install rbenv and ruby-build:
  • Clone rbenv and ruby-build repositories:
    sh git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc
  1. Install Ruby:
  • List available versions and install:
    sh rbenv install -l rbenv install 3.1.2 rbenv global 3.1.2
  1. Verify Installation:
  • Check the Ruby version:
    sh ruby -v

Conclusion

Setting up Ruby on your system is a straightforward process, whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux. By following these step-by-step instructions, you’ll be ready to start developing Ruby applications in no time. With Ruby’s elegant syntax and powerful features, you’ll quickly see why it has become such a beloved language in the programming community. Happy coding!

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