In the world of software development, Ruby is a high-level, dynamic programming language that has gained popularity due to its simplicity and effectiveness. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Ruby and setting up your local programming environment on Windows 10.
An Overview of Ruby
Ruby was first introduced in Japan in 1993 and has since become a go-to language for server-side web development. Designed with user-friendliness in mind, Ruby is the perfect choice for beginners as well as seasoned developers, offering a robust platform to build anything from simple scripts to complex web applications.
Primary Keyword: Install Ruby
Secondary Keywords: Local Programming Environment, Windows 10
Ruby Installation on Windows
Despite the availability of various methods to install Ruby on Windows, Microsoft suggests using the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Bash for hassle-free Ruby development. Many Ruby libraries are designed for Linux, and using them on Windows could potentially lead to issues. This is where WSL and Bash come into the picture, offering native Linux command line tools on Windows 10.
Prerequisites
Before you set sail, ensure you have a computer running Windows 10 with the Creators Update. Additionally, you should have administrative privileges to install software.
Step 1: Bash Installation
Your journey to installing Ruby starts with Bash, a popular Linux and macOS shell. It’s a command line interface that allows you to interact with your computer using text-based commands rather than graphical buttons.
Enabling Developer Mode
To start with, activate the Developer mode on your Windows 10 machine. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app
- Select Update & Security
- Choose ‘For developers’ in the sidebar
- Check the Developer mode option and confirm the prompt
Installing Bash
Next, you need to install Bash. Follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel and select Programs
- Choose ‘Turn Windows features on or off’
- Check the option for ‘Windows Subsystem For Linux (Beta)’, click OK, and wait for the installation to complete
- Reboot your computer for proper configuration
Once your computer restarts, open the Command Prompt and type bash
. This will prompt you to install Bash from the Windows Store.
Step 2: Installing RVM and Ruby
Once Bash is installed, the next step is to install Ruby Version Manager (RVM). RVM automates the process of setting up a Ruby environment, making it the quickest way to set up Ruby on Windows.
gpg --keyserver hkp://keys.gnupg.net --recv-keys 409B6B1796C275462A1703113804BB82D39DC0E3 7D2BAF1CF37B13E2069D6956105BD0E739499BDB
After installing the gnupg2 package, use the curl command to download the RVM installation script.\curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io -o rvm.sh
Once the script is downloaded, execute it to install the latest stable release of RVM:cat rvm.sh | bash -s stable
Finally, use the rvm command to install the latest version of Ruby:rvm install ruby --default
Step 3: Creating a Simple Ruby Program
Now that your environment is set up, let’s create a simple Ruby program to test it. Create a new file called hello.rb
and add the following code:puts “Hello, World!”
Save the file and run the program with ruby hello.rb
. You should see “Hello, World!” printed on your screen, confirming that Ruby is installed correctly.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully managed to install Ruby and set up a local programming environment on Windows 10. You can now start building interesting projects with Ruby.
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