Install Rails is the easiest way to install Ruby on Rails Version 5, or to update Ruby with RVM, on Mac, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu). Install Rails: A step-by-step guide for installing Ruby on Rails Start now. InstallRails.com is the best way to install Ruby on Rails on your computer. How does Install Rails work? If your driver does not appear to be installed, you can download the appropriate driver below. Download Scanner Drivers for Windows. Find your scanner model number by looking on the underside (bottom) of the scanner. Unplug your scanner and close Neat on your computer. Click your scanner model number in the chart below to download the drivers.
by Daniel Kehoe
Last updated 7 January 2018
Install Ruby on Rails 5.2 on macOS High Sierra. Up-to-date and detailed instructions, plus troubleshooting, for the Rails newest release. How to set up and install Rails 5.2, the newest version of Rails, on macOS 10.13 High Sierra.
This in-depth installation guide is used by professional developers to configure their working environment for real-world Rails development. Beginners can use it, too. You can find shorter articles elsewhere but this explains everything, covers everything, and is up to date.
If you like the level of detail and explanation in this article, you will like my book Learn Ruby on Rails and you may want to try my intermediate-level tutorials, the Capstone Rails Tutorials.
If You Are New to Rails
To use Rails on macOS, you’ll need Ruby (an interpreter for the Ruby programming language) plus gems (software libraries) containing the Rails web application development framework. If you’re new to Rails, see What is Ruby on Rails?, the book Learn Ruby on Rails, and recommendations for a Rails tutorial. This article explains how to install Rails.
What is the RailsApps Project?
This is an article from the RailsApps project. The RailsApps project provides example applications that developers use as starter apps. Hundreds of developers use the apps, report problems as they arise, and propose solutions. Rails changes frequently; each application is known to work and serves as your personal 'reference implementation.' Support for the project comes from people who purchase the Capstone Rails Tutorials. You might want to try the RailsApps Example Applications and the Capstone Rails Tutorials.
Summary
- Upgrade Your System to macOS High Sierra
- Install XCode Command Line Tools
- Configure Git
- Install Homebrew
- Install GPG
- Install RVM
- Install Ruby
- Update RubyGems
- Install Rails
Ruby on Rails for macOS High Sierra
These instructions can be used for macOS 10.9 Mavericks, 10.10 Yosemite, or 10.11 El Capitan. However, you should upgrade to macOS 10.13 High Sierra if you can.
MacOS comes with a 'system Ruby' pre-installed. MacOS High Sierra includes Ruby 2.0.0p645 which is not the newest version. Do not use the system Ruby (see an article for why). You should update to Ruby 2.5.0 by using RVM, the Ruby Version Manager. You'll find instructions below.
If you are maintaining older Rails applications, you will likely need to install older Ruby versions. And in the future, you will need to install newer Ruby versions as they are released. Even if you are a student only building new Rails applications, you should be prepared to manage multiple versions of Ruby. These are all reasons to use a Ruby version manager such as RVM.
If You Updated to macOS High Sierra
If you updated to High Sierra from an earlier version of macOS (sometimes called an 'over the top' installation), and you previously installed a Rails development environment, your earlier installation remains intact. You will need to install the new version of Xcode Command Line Tools (full instructions below). Though Rails is still intact after an update, read through this article and take this opportunity to update your development environment.
Use a Ruby Version Manager
You’ll need an easy way to switch between Ruby versions. Just as important, you’ll have a dependency mess if you install gems into the system environment. I recommend RVM to manage Ruby versions and gems because it is popular, well-supported, and full-featured. If you are an experienced Unix administrator, you can consider alternatives such as Chruby or Sam Stephenson’s rbenv. Conveniently, you can use RVM to install Ruby.
Don’t Use a One-Click Installer
You may hear about one-click installation programs such as RailsInstaller, Cinderella, and BitNami RubyStack. These installation programs are often outdated and they are no longer needed as RVM will set up almost everything needed to install Ruby. In particular, I don’t recommend RailsInstaller as it installs RVM at the system level creating potential conflicts.
A Hosted Development Alternative
You can use Ruby on Rails without actually installing it on your computer. Hosted development, using a service such as Cloud9, means you get a computer 'in the cloud' that you use from your web browser. Any computer can access the hosted development environment, though you’ll need a broadband connection. Cloud9 is free for small projects.
Using a hosted environment means you are no longer dependent on the physical presence of a computer that stores all your files. If your computer crashes or is stolen, you can continue to use your hosted environment from any other computer. Likewise, if you frequently work on more than one computer, a hosted environment eliminates the difficulty of maintaining duplicate development environments. For these reasons some developers prefer to 'work in the cloud' using Cloud9. For more on Cloud9, see the article Ruby on Rails with Cloud9. Cloud9 is a good option if you have trouble installing Ruby on Rails on your Mac.
Prepare Your Computer
You’ll need to prepare your computer before installing Ruby on Rails.
Upgrade macOS to 10.13
MacOS High Sierra was released on September 25, 2017. Make sure you have the latest version of macOS. Under the Apple menu, check 'About This Mac.' It should show 'Version 10.13.0' or newer. If you’ve owned your Mac for several years and haven’t updated macOS, be prepared to spend several hours updating the operating system.
If you need to upgrade, see Apple’s instructions How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra. You can install macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) from the Mac App Store for free. Allow plenty of time for the download and installation (it may take several hours).
Terminal Application
You’ll need to use the Terminal application to install Ruby and develop Rails applications. The Terminal application or console gives us access to the Unix command line, or shell. We call the command line the shell because it is the outer layer of the operating system’s internal mechanisms (which we call the kernel). Search for the macOS Terminal application by pressing the Command-Spacebar combination (which Apple calls 'Spotlight Search') and searching for 'Terminal.' Or look in the Applications/Utilities/ folder for the Terminal application.
Launch the Terminal application. Then try out the terminal application by entering a shell command:
Don’t type the $ character. The $ character is a cue that you should enter a shell command. This is a longtime convention that indicates you should enter a command in the terminal application. The Unix shell command whoami returns your username.
Just a reminder to absolute beginners: Press 'Enter' after you type the command.
To learn more about Unix shell commands, read The Command Line Crash Course or Learn Enough Command Line to Be Dangerous.
Is Xcode Already Installed?
You need to install Apple's Xcode Command Line Tools to get the Unix tools needed to install Ruby and develop with Rails.
Xcode is Apple's software library for macOS developers. You need the full Xcode package if you are doing development of applications for the Apple operating systems but you don't need all of Xcode for Rails development. You just need the Xcode Command Line Tools. Here's how to install the Xcode Command Line Tools.
Check if you have previously installed the full Xcode package:
If you see:
The Xcode package is not installed. Jump to the next section and install only the Xcode Command Line Tools.
If you see:
orThe full Xcode package is already installed. Maybe you or someone else installed it previously.
If Xcode is installed, you will need to update Xcode to the newest version (Xcode 7.1 or newer). Go to the App Store application and check 'Updates.' After updating Xcode, be sure to launch the Xcode application and accept the Apple license terms.
If you see a file location that contains spaces in the path:
you must delete Xcode. RVM cannot accommodate spaces in a path so RVM will fail when you attempt to install Ruby.
Install Xcode Command Line Tools
Before installing Ruby, you’ll need to prepare your computer by installing Apple’s Xcode Command Line Tools.
The Xcode Command Line Tools provide a C language compiler needed to install Ruby. For many Rails projects, you will need the C language compiler to install gems that use native extensions.
macOS High Sierra will alert you when you enter a command in the terminal that requires Xcode Command Line Tools. For example, you can enter gcc, git, or make.
Try it. Enter:
If Xcode Command Line Tools are not installed, you’ll see an alert box:
Alternatively, you can use a command to install Xcode Command Line Tools. It will produce a similar alert box. Note the double hyphen:
Click 'Install' to download and install Xcode Command Line Tools.
The instructions in the alert box are confusing. You don’t need to 'Get Xcode' from the App Store. Just click 'Install' for the Xcode Command Line Tools. If you have a slow Internet connection, it may take many minutes.
If the download takes a very long time (over an hour) or fails, you can try an alternative. Go to https://developer.apple.com/downloads/more and enter your Apple ID and password. You'll be asked to agree to the terms of the Apple Developer Program. You'll see a list of software packages you can download. Look for the latest version of Command Line Toolsand click to download the .dmg file. Downloading the .dmg file is much faster than waiting forthe command-line-based download. Install the .dmg file by clicking on the package icon.
Verify that you’ve successfully installed Xcode Command Line Tools:
The Xcode Command Line Tools must be installed before you go to the next steps. Just to be certain, verify that gcc is installed:
Ignore the Alternatives
You might hear about the OSX GCC Installer, an open source project to provide the GCC compiler and related tools. In the blog post, Xcode, GCC, and Homebrew, the project maintainer recommends installing the Xcode Command Line Tools because the open source project is unable to duplicate the complete Apple package (notably, the Node software project isn’t supported).
Configure Git
Before installing Ruby on Rails, you should configure Git. Git is automatically installed as part of the Xcode Command Line Tools.
Git provides a source control repository. Developers use Git to roll back code changes as needed, to collaborate with others, and deploy applications for hosting with a service such as Heroku. As a Rails developer, you’ll use Git with a GitHub account for remote backup and collaboration. See the article Rails with Git and GitHub for more background.
Check that Git is installed:
Configure Git if you haven’t used it before. First, list the current settings with the git config -l --global command. Then set user.name and user.email if necessary.
Before you do this, it is a good idea to create an account on GitHub. You don't have to, but it is important to use the same email address for git and for GitHub. Don't just copy and paste the code below. Edit it to add your name and the email address you've used for GitHub.
Now you’ll be ready to use Git when you need it.
Install Homebrew
If you did not use a password to log in to your Mac (that is, if your password is blank), you cannot install Homebrew.
Check if Homebrew is installed:
RVM requires Homebrew, a package manager for macOS. Many developers use Homebrew to install various Unix software packages.
To avoid RVM installation issues, install Homebrew before RVM. If Homebrew is not installed, install it:
The Homebrew installation script will display a warning and ask you to enter your Mac password:
Ignore the scary warning and enter your Mac password. You won't see the characters as you type. Press enter when you are done.
You may notice that we use Ruby to install Homebrew. We use the macOS pre-installed system version of Ruby to install Homebrew. Soon we'll add a newer version of Ruby using RVM.
Install GPG
You can use Homebrew to install gpg, an encryption program used to check the security of the RVM download. Installing gpg eliminates a warning message which will halt installation of RVM.
After GPG is installed (or if it is already installed), install the security key for RVM:
If you skip the gpg steps you may not be able to install RVM.
Install RVM
Use RVM, the Ruby Version Manager, to install Ruby and manage your Rails versions.
If your Mac user name contains a space character, you must change you account name to remove the space.
The RVM website explains how to install RVM. Here’s the simplest way:
Note the backslash before 'curl' (this avoids potential version conflicts).
RVM includes an 'autolibs' option to identify and install components needed for your operating system. See the article RVM Autolibs: Automatic Dependency Handling and Ruby 2.0 for more information. RVM will update your system and install dependencies required for installing Ruby on macOS.
You may see a message:
If you see the message, enter your Mac password.
You may be prompted to install a Java SE 6 runtime (for the javac Java compiler).
If You Already Have RVM Installed
If you already have RVM installed, update it to the latest version and install Ruby:
RVM Troubleshooting
You can use rvm implode to remove all traces of RVM from your system (except changes it makes to your shell files such as .bash_profile).
If you have trouble installing Ruby with RVM, you can get help directly from the RVM team using the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel #rvm on irc.freenode.net:
If you’ve never used IRC, it’s worthwhile to figure out how to use IRC because the RVM team is helpful and friendly. IRC on freenode requires registration (see how to register).
Close and Reopen the Terminal
After installing RVM, you must close and reopen the Terminal window.
Alternatively, you can enter this command to refresh the terminal environment:
But it is easier to simply close and reopen the Terminal window.
Install Ruby
After installing RVM, install the newest version of Ruby.
RVM will leave your 'system Ruby' untouched and use your shell to intercept any calls to Ruby. There’s no need to remove the system Ruby. The system Ruby will remain on your system and the RVM version will take precedence.
Ruby 2.5.0 was current when this was written. You can check for the current recommended version of Ruby. You must specify a version number to install the newest stable Ruby version:
You may be asked to enter a password. When you enter the password, type carefully. You will not see the characters you enter.
Sometimes a precompiled version of Ruby is available. If not, it takes a long time (about five minutes) to install Ruby because the computer must compile the source code.
Verify that the newest version of Ruby is installed:
Check the Gem Manager
RubyGems is the package manager in Ruby. We use it to install software packages that add functionality to Ruby.
Check the installed gem manager version. You may see:
Don't type the number you see above. It's just to show you the response you might get from your computer.
At the time this was written, a newer RubyGems version was available. Use gem update --system to upgrade the Ruby gem manager:
RVM Gemsets
Not all Rails developers use RVM to manage gems, but many recommend it.
Display a list of gemsets:
Only the 'default' and 'global' gemsets are pre-installed.
If you get an error 'rvm is not a function,' close your console and open it again.
RVM’s Global Gemset
See what gems are installed in the 'global' gemset:
A trouble-free development environment requires the newest versions of the default gems.
Several gems are installed with Ruby or the RVM default gemset:
There may be others as well.
To get a list of gems that are outdated:
To update all stale gems:
In particular, rake should be updated to version 10.2.1 or newer.
Stay Current
You can track updates to gems at the RubyGems.org site by creating an account and visiting your dashboard. Search for each gem you use and 'subscribe' to see a feed of updates in the dashboard (an RSS feed is available from the dashboard). After you’ve built an application and set up a GitHub repository, you can stay informed with Gemnasium or VersionEye. These services survey your GitHub repo and send email notifications when gem versions change. Gemnasium and VersionEye are free for public repositories with a premium plan for private repositories.
Faster Gem Installation
By default, when you install gems, documentation files will be installed. Developers seldom use gem documentation files (they’ll browse the web instead). Installing gem documentation files takes time, so many developers like to toggle the default so no documentation is installed.
Here’s how to speed up gem installation by disabling the documentation step:
This adds the line gem: --no-document to the hidden .gemrc file in your home directory.
Install Bundler
The Bundler gem is an essential tool for managing gems when developing and running Rails applications. RVM used to install Bundler automatically. As of version 1.26.11 (released March 31, 2015), RVM no longer installs Bundler automatically. You must install Bundler:
Install Nokogiri
Nokogiri is a gem that is a dependency for many other gems. Nokogiri is a gem that requires compilation for your specific operating system. As such, if your system environment doesn’t match Nokogiri’s requirements, compilation of Nokogiri will fail. If your system is configured properly, you’ll be able to compile Nokogiri. However, compilation takes time. Every time you install the Nokogiri gem, you’ll wait (as long as five minutes).
To save time, install the Nokogiri gem in the RVM global gemset:
During installation, Nokogiri will display two lengthy messages in the console. It will also pause without displaying any progress for as long as five minutes. Don’t assume installation has failed unless you see an error message or you’ve waited more than ten minutes.
If installation fails, make sure your system is configured properly (look for help on Stack Overflow).
Install Rails
Check for the current version of Rails. Rails 5.1 was current and Rails 5.2 was available in beta release when this was written. For an overview of what’s changed in each Rails release, see a Ruby on Rails Release History.
You can install Rails directly into the global gemset. However, many developers prefer to keep the global gemset sparse and install Rails into project-specific gemsets, so each project has the appropriate version of Rails.
If you install Rails at this point, you will install it into the global gemset.
I recommend to make a gemset for the beta release:
Here are the options you have for installing Rails.
If you want the newest beta version or release candidate, you can install with --pre.
I recommend installing the beta release:
If you want to install the current stable release:
Or you can get a specific version.
For example, if you want the Rails 3.2.18 release:
Verify that the correct version of Rails is installed:
Rails is now installed. If you want, you can close the Terminal window. Everything is installed, so you won't lose anything by closing the Terminal.
Next, try building a Rails application.
Create a Workspace Folder
You’ll need a convenient folder to store your Rails projects. You can give it any name, such as code/ or projects/. For this tutorial, we’ll call it workspace/.
Create a projects folder and move into the folder:
This is where you’ll create your Rails applications.
New Rails Application
Here’s how to create a project-specific gemset, installing Rails, and creating a new application.
We’ll name the new application 'myapp.' Obviously, you can give it any name you like.
With this workflow, you’ll first create a root directory for your application, then move into the new directory.
With one command you’ll create a new project-specific gemset. The option '—ruby-version' creates .ruby-version and .ruby-gemset files in the root directory. RVM recognizes these files in an application’s root directory and loads the required version of Ruby and the correct gemset whenever you enter the directory.
When we create the gemset, it will be empty (though it inherits use of all the gems in the global gemset). We immediately install Rails. The command gem install rails installs the most recent release of Rails.
Finally we run rails new .. We use the Unix 'dot' convention to refer to the current directory. This assigns the name of the directory to the new application.
This approach is different from the way most beginners are taught to create a Rails application. Most instructions suggest using rails new myapp to generate a new application and then enter the directory to begin work. Our approach makes it easy to create a project-specific gemset and install Rails before the application is created.
The rails new command generates the default Rails starter app. If you wish, you can use the Rails Composer tool to generate a starter application with a choice of basic features and popular gems.
Quick Test
For a 'smoke test' to see if everything runs, display a list of Rake tasks.
There’s no need to run bundle exec rake instead of rake when you are using RVM (see RVM and bundler integration).
Run the application with the Rails server command:
Use your web browser to visit the application at http://localhost:3000/.
Use Control-c to stop the server.
This concludes the instructions for installing Ruby and Rails. Read on for additional advice and tips.
Terminal Application and Text Editor
The built-in Apple Terminal application is adequate but many developers install iTerm 2. It has more options for customization.
For examining and writing code, you'll also need a text editor program such as Sublime or Atom or Visual Studio Code. Of course, some programmers will suggest you try Vim or Emacs.
Rails Example Applications
If you'd like to download and play with a complete, working Rails application, choose any of the RailsApps Example Applications. For example, you can download the application that is built in the book, Learn Ruby on Rails. Make sure you are in your workspace folder, then download from GitHub and install gems using bundler:
Examine the code or run the application:
The server will start and wait for requests from a web browser. You won't see a result or a prompt while it is waiting for a request from a web browser.
Use your web browser to visit the application at http://localhost:3000/.
Use Control-c to stop the server.
Rails Composer
Use the Rails Composer tool to build a full-featured Rails starter app.
You’ll get a choice of starter applications with basic features and popular gems.
Here’s how to generate a new Rails application using the Rails Composer tool:
Using the conventional approach:
Or, first creating an empty application root directory:
The -m option loads an application template that is hosted on GitHub.
Download Ruby For Mac Pc
You can add the -T flags to skip Test::Unit if you are using RSpec for testing.
You can add the -O flags to skip Active Record if you are using a NoSQL datastore such as MongoDB.
If you get an error 'OpenSSL certificate verify failed' when you try to generate a new Rails app, see the article OpenSSL Errors and Rails.
You can run the Rails server to test the application.
Adding a Gemset to an Existing Application
If you’ve already created an application with the command rails new myapp, you can still create a project-specific gemset. Here’s how to create a gemset for an application named 'myapp' and create .ruby-version and .ruby-gemset files in the application’s root directory:
You’ll need to install Rails and the gems listed in your Gemfile into the new gemset by running:
Specifying a Gemset for an Existing Application
If you have already created both an application and a gemset, but not .ruby-version and .ruby-gemset files, here’s how to add the files. For example, if you want to use an existing gemset named 'ruby-2.2.0@myapp':
Using .ruby-version and .ruby-gemset files means you’ll automatically be using the correct Rails and gem version when you switch to your application root directory on your local machine.
Databases for Rails
Rails uses the SQLite database by default. macOS come with SQLite pre-installed and there’s nothing to configure.
Ruby Mac Os X
Though SQLite is adequate for development (and even some production applications), a new Rails application can be configured for other databases. The command rails new myapp --database= will show you a list of supported databases.
PostgreSQL
Use the easy-to-install macOS Postgres.app if you’d like to use PostgreSQL.
To create a new Rails application to use PostgreSQL:
The --database=postgresql parameter will add the pg database adapter gem to the Gemfile and create a suitable config/database.yml file.
Don’t use the --database= argument with the Rails Composer tool. You’ll select a database from a menu instead.
Deployment
If you wish to run your own servers, you can deploy a Rails application using Capistrano deployment scripts. However, unless system administration is a personal passion, it is much easier to deploy your application with a 'platform as a service' provider such as Heroku.
Hosting
For easy deployment, use a 'platform as a service' provider such as:
For deployment on Heroku, see the article:
Security
By design, Rails encourages practices that avoid common web application vulnerabilities. The Rails security team actively investigates and patches vulnerabilities. If you use the most current version of Rails, you will be protected from known vulnerabilities. See the Ruby On Rails Security Guide for an overview of potential issues and watch the Ruby on Rails Security Mailing List for announcements and discussion.
Your Application’s Secret Token
Rails uses a session store to provide persistence between page requests. The default session store uses cookies. To prevent decoding of cookie data and hijacking a session, Rails encrypts cookie data using a secret key. When you create a new Rails application using the rails new command, a unique secret key is generated. If you’ve used the Rails Composer tool to generate the application, the application’s secret token will be unique, just as with any Rails application generated with the rails new command.
The file config/secrets.yml contains secret tokens for development and production.
Take care to hide the secret token you use in production. Don’t expose it in a public GitHub repo, or people could change their session information, and potentially access your site without permission. It’s best to set the secret token in a Unix shell variable.
If you need to create a new secret token:
The command rake secret generates a new random secret you can use. The command won’t install the key; you have to copy the key from the console output to the appropriate file.
Troubleshooting
Problems with RVM
You can get help directly from the RVM team using the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel #rvm on irc.freenode.net:
If you’ve never used IRC, it’s worthwhile to figure out how to use IRC because the RVM team is helpful and friendly. IRC on freenode requires registration (see how to register).
Problems with 'Segmentation Fault'
If you get a 'segfault' when you try rails new, try removing and reinstalling RVM. If you are not using the current version of macOS, you should upgrade before installing RVM.
Problems with 'Gem::RemoteFetcher::FetchError: SSL_connect'
Ruby and RubyGems (starting with Ruby 1.9.3p194 and RubyGems 1.8.23) require verification of server SSL certificates when Ruby makes an Internet connection via https. If you run rails new and get an error 'Gem::RemoteFetcher::FetchError: SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=SSLv3 read server certificate' see this article suggesting solutions: OpenSSL errors and Rails.
Problems with 'Certificate Verify Failed'
Are you getting an error 'OpenSSL certificate verify failed' when you try to generate a new Rails app from an application template? See this article suggesting solutions: OpenSSL errors and Rails.
Installing in a Second Account
If you've created a second user account on your Mac, and the first user has already installed Homebrew, the first user may have to change permissions for the /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/Cellar folders:
The second user account should be given admin privileges using the System Preferences 'Users and Groups' setting.
Where to Get Help
Your best source for online help with problems is Stack Overflow. Your issue may have been encountered and addressed by others.
To find a real person who can help, attend a Ruby meetup in your city. Google for 'ruby meetup' with your city name.
Credits
Daniel Kehoe wrote the article.