Lesson 8
Setting Up Your Development Environment
To listen to the lesson, click the Play button on the left. You can also right-click on the download link to save the mp3 file, or you can subscribe in iTunes (just search for Learning Rails).
To read a transcript of the lesson, click the Transcript link on the left.
The heart of the lesson is the audio; these notes are supplementary. So please listen to the audio, or read the transcript, before making use of these notes.
Note: we created this series in 2008, and the Ruby on Rails world, along with the software that supports it (such as various gems) has evolved quite a bit since then. Check the comments for suggestions on how to overcome various incompatibilities. We hope to have an updated version of the series by the end of 2010.
Detailed Ruby on Rails Development Environment Installation Instructions
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Reader Comments
30 comments
Thank you
From: Dr. Rao Mallik Kotamarti, 11/30/11 11:33 AM
I must honestly say that you both are really good writers and you do put your heart into it. I cannot wait to get my first server and the one based on Rails! I am hoping that my learning so far should help me through. It would be great to test myself with a takeaway quiz to see where I need to refresh myself...just a thought...
Installing Ruby on Windows Vista
From: Paulette, 12/11/09 09:59 AM
Hi there, I visited rubyforge to download the one-click installer but I'm not sure which package to download. There are RubyInstaller, Development Kit and One-click Installer which is tag old. So I'm a little confused. What's the difference and which is required for me to move forward? Thanks in advance. Cheers, Paulette.
installing Sqlite3 on windows XP
From: wajahat, 06/24/09 11:55 AM
this is what got me running sqlite3 on my machine http://blog.emson.co.uk/2008/06/installing-sqlite3-on-windows-for-rails/ to the point right on the mark and this command works: gem install —version 1.2.3 sqlite3-ruby
RadRails
From: Michael Slater, 02/01/09 03:53 PM
I used RadRails in its early days but left it for NetBeans, and then left NetBeans for TextMate. So I haven't used RadRails in a long time. Now that it is under Aptana's wing, I assume it is being well maintained, but I have no recent experience with it.
Netbeans / Eclipe
From: Fletch, 01/31/09 02:35 AM
Thanks Michael, that's very helpful to hear. I come from a Java dev background and have always used Eclipse so I was considering RadRails, but thought I might as well take the opportunity to check out NetBeans since you guys would be using it for the screencasts. I think I'll abandon that idea. I was surprised not to actually see any mention of RadRails in your links, considering that it's the first IDE mentioned on the rails download page http://rubyonrails.org/download. I saw it was criticised at one point because no-one was developing it, but then it got back on track(?). Do you have any opinion on it?
NetBeans
From: Michael Slater, 01/30/09 08:20 AM
Actually, we gave up on NetBeans. It had a particularly rough time right as we were putting together the first screencasts, when it wasn't up to snuff for Rails 2.0, and we also found that the NetBeans-specific issues confused students. We've stuck with a standard text editor (we use TextMate on the Mac) and terminal.
Netbeans bundle
From: Fletch, 01/30/09 05:13 AM
There's not much description of Netbeans considering it will be the editor used in the rest of the course. I couldn't figure out whether I'm meant to install the Netbeans Ruby bundle (which includes Rails etc) or just the Java SE bundle since the Ruby technologies have already been installed. You should include at least a comment on this.
Why do you open the Windows Firewall?
From: Fletch, 01/30/09 05:03 AM
Why do you instruct us to open the windows firewall? As far as I understand, you don't need to do this in order to connect to MySQL from your local machine. Since this is all we are interested in, wouldn't it be better to leave the FW closed? Also, I would explicitly link the importance of setting a MySQL pw to whether you have the FW open or not... if it's open it's much more important to set a password.
Thanks
From: Ahad Bokhari, 12/16/08 11:55 AM
Hey i have been having some problems with the manual rails install(Windows) -> namely SQL. Instant Rails is good to go, but slow as hell. I am sure that this series will help me out, and after a long night of learning and failing i found you guys!! Many thanks from Karachi, Pk.
Thanks
From: Ahad Bokhari, 12/16/08 11:55 AM
Hey i have been having some problems with the manual rails install(Windows) -> namely SQL. Instant Rails is good to go, but slow as hell. I am sure that this series will help me out, and after a long night of learning and failing i found you guys!! Many thanks from Karachi, Pk.
Ruby Script/Server?
From: Chris Cuellar, 10/28/08 10:56 PM
Hello, I installed rails and check to be sure all my files were working (they were)When I go into command prompt to start the server with ruby Script/server I get an error saying no such file. I am running vista. the other question I have is I downloaded "E" text editor what command do I use to start the test editor from command prompt on windows vista? Thanks, Chris
ruby 186-26.exe
From: cherrian, 10/16/08 06:46 AM
Ruby 186-26.exe does not respond to the check command. Also, I am not able to give the command install rails, capistrano mongrel mongrel_cluster What do you suggest?
Setting up my environment
From: cherrian chin harada, 10/15/08 09:36 PM
Hi, I hope you can help me on this matter. I working on a windows XP and I am following your lesson details but I am not sure if I am now at the stage to move to lesson #9. I click on the one-click Ruby installer and then I in Ruby Forge page, I then click on download but no indication or confirmation. I did not get any Ruby 186.76 set-up box from wizard...I did not see it running on my PC. Each I go to download I have this same experience, can you tell me why?
From: cherrian chin harada, 10/11/08 01:18 AM
I have problem hearing the recording on lesson #8
From: cherrian chin harada, 10/11/08 01:17 AM
I have problem hearing the recording on lesson #8
Instant Rails
From: Peter, 09/04/08 04:11 PM
You have a rather oblique criticism of Instant Rails. After looking at some extremely long and tortuous set up procedures (elsewhere) I installed it with relief and it works well. What's the matter with it?
MySQL Root Passwords
From: Christopher Haupt, 07/25/08 01:58 AM
The thing to check first is to make sure you can get in to MySQL from the command line (in a DOS/Command Prompt Window, does *mysql -p -u root* work when you hit return at the password prompt?).
Ruby and My SQL root password
From: AussieDave, 07/10/08 03:40 PM
Hi am just starting lesson 9 and get an error Access Denied for user ‘root’@’localhost ’ (using pasword NO) when I click on the about your applciation environment in tjhe wlecome abourf index page
I am running on windows XP
Thanks
Dave
Ubuntu instructions
From: Philipe Farias, 05/22/08 09:38 AM
Installation instructions for Ubuntu (7.10 or 8.04):
1. open terminal
2. paste this command
sudo apt-get install ruby rubygems irb3. wait the installation then paste
sudo gedit /usr/bin/gem4. after the line
require 'rubygems'pasterequire 'rubygems/gem_runner', save and exit5. back on terminal
sudo gem updateandsudo gem update --system6. now
sudo gem install rails7. and if you want to boost gedit see this for beginning: http://github.com/mig/gedit-rails/tree/master
8. or simple
sudo apt-get install vim-ruby vim-railsfor vim editor9. for mysql
sudo apt-get install mysql-server(optional)10. for postgresql
sudo apt-get install postgresql-server(optional)RE: When you already have MySQL
From: Christopher Haupt, 05/22/08 05:00 AM
No need to set up another instance of the DB. If you are already running successfully, just use the one you have. You can follow the rest of the instructions. The one thing you may need to tweak is if you have problems building the mysql gem (on Mac/Linux, you’ll likely use the binary version on Windows). On Mac/Linux, tweak the instructions so that the command paths are to your installation (where-ever it is) instead of the assumed “ports” version of /opt/local…”
instruction when MySQL already installed using WAMP (XP) or MAMP (MAC)
From: Xavier, 05/22/08 04:49 AM
I already had MySQL installed using WAMP (on XP PC) and MAMP on (OS X Leopard). Should I follow your instructions, and still install another MySQL Server, or bypass those instructions? I’m worried about either screwing up my ability to run Ruby on Rails, or PHP that was already installed.
Ubuntu - Linux in general
From: Ramsesoriginal, 05/16/08 04:08 AM
Hi. In ubuntu its really easy: open a termianl and type sudo apt-get install ruby rails for a basic system.
Install on Ubuntu
From: Zeck, 05/10/08 08:10 PM
Hi, How to install ruby on rails on ubuntu 8.04 ? Any Idea ?
upload file
From: Grzegorz, 05/10/08 04:22 PM
How to upload file to server in Ruby? Help me !
Ubuntu Version
From: K Goarany, 05/06/08 12:38 AM
Thanks Chris! In our CS lab, we’re running 7.10 “Gusty Gibbon”.
RE: RoR on Ubuntu
From: Christopher Haupt, 05/05/08 10:17 AM
Thanks all for the requests for a write-up regarding Ubuntu. I’ll add it to the list for a future article. What version are folks running out there?
RoR on Unbutnu
From: K Goarany, 05/05/08 07:09 AM
Thanks Chris & Michael for your great podcast! I for one would love if you would do a write-up for setting up RoR in Ubuntu
RoR on Unbutnu
From: K El-Goarany, 05/05/08 07:03 AM
Thanks Chris & Michael for you great podcast!
I for one would love if you do a write-up for setting up RoR on Ubuntu.
Please
From: hayat, 05/04/08 04:39 AM
What about Detailed Ruby on Rails Development Environment Installation Instructions on Ubuntu????????????
RE: Linux
From: Christopher Haupt, 04/30/08 02:34 PM
So far we’ve been covering the majority case of current screencast downloaders for OSs. For most Linux distros, the simplest way to get started is to use the particular package management system available on your machine (rpm. yum, apt-get, etc.), pull down the Ruby and MySQL packages, and if needed, grab RubyGems and follow the readme for its install. Once you have that, the instructions for grabbing gems is pretty similar to the Mac OS instructions. If there are particular rough spots out there, we’d love to hear about them. If enough folks write in, we might do a representative write-up for something like Ubuntu.