I would like to try the Ruby interpreter on either Windows XP or
Debian Linux. I downloaded the latest Windows installer, but it does
horrible things to my library setup, which could not be undone with
even a complete uninstall. I had to restore the whole system. For
details, see my posting on comp.lang.python 2004-2-18, subject: IDLE
won’t start.
I then tried to install the ‘ruby’ package from Debian (version
1.8.1-3) using apt-get install. It installs without error, but I
can’t find anywhere some basic instructions on running the
interpreter. I tried ‘irb’ at the command line, but there is no such
command.
– Dave
I would like to try the Ruby interpreter on either Windows XP or
Debian Linux. I downloaded the latest Windows installer, but it does
horrible things to my library setup, which could not be undone with
even a complete uninstall. I had to restore the whole system. For
details, see my posting on comp.lang.python 2004-2-18, subject: IDLE
won’t start.
For what I know ruby from pragprogs and pythonbring diferent tk
versions, that are incompatible. You may try to install it withouth
that or use a different binary pkg…
I then tried to install the ‘ruby’ package from Debian (version
1.8.1-3) using apt-get install. It installs without error, but I
can’t find anywhere some basic instructions on running the
interpreter. I tried ‘irb’ at the command line, but there is no such
command.
tried ruby -v ? I installed ruby on debian flawlessy 
···
il Mon, 23 Feb 2004 15:08:05 -0700, David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com ha scritto::
– Dave
$ruby -v
ruby 1.8.1 (2004-02-04) [i386 - linux ]
$dpkg --listfiles ruby
…
/usr/share/doc/ruby/README.Debian
…
Nothing in the README file about the interpreter. Is that a separate
package? If so, it seems like it should at least be listed among the
“recommended” packages for the ‘ruby’ package.
How do I install and start the Ruby interpreter?
– Dave
···
On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 22:32:43 GMT, gabriele renzi surrender_it@remove.yahoo.it wrote:
il Mon, 23 Feb 2004 15:08:05 -0700, David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com ha
scritto::
I would like to try the Ruby interpreter on either Windows XP or
Debian Linux. I downloaded the latest Windows installer, but it does
horrible things to my library setup, which could not be undone with
even a complete uninstall. I had to restore the whole system. For
details, see my posting on comp.lang.python 2004-2-18, subject: IDLE
won’t start.
For what I know ruby from pragprogs and pythonbring diferent tk
versions, that are incompatible. You may try to install it withouth
that or use a different binary pkg…
I then tried to install the ‘ruby’ package from Debian (version
1.8.1-3) using apt-get install. It installs without error, but I
can’t find anywhere some basic instructions on running the
interpreter. I tried ‘irb’ at the command line, but there is no such
command.
tried ruby -v ? I installed ruby on debian flawlessy
David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com writes:
Nothing in the README file about the interpreter. Is that a separate
package? If so, it seems like it should at least be listed among the
“recommended” packages for the ‘ruby’ package.
How do I install and start the Ruby interpreter?
The ‘ruby’ binary IS the interpreter.
If you’re looking for irb, you need to install the irb package.
Package: irb
Priority: optional
Section: interpreters
Installed-Size: 244
Maintainer: akira yamada akira@debian.org
Architecture: all
Source: ruby
Version: 1.6.7-3
Depends: ruby (>= 1.6.7-3), libreadline-ruby (>= 1.6.7-3),
libnkf-ruby (>= 1.6.7-3)
Filename: pool/main/r/ruby/irb_1.6.7-3_all.deb
Size: 50900
MD5sum: a369c6f89e69600030060a798fae8279
Description: The Interactive Ruby.
The irb is acronym for Interactive RuBy. It evaluates Ruby
expression
from the terminal.
···
–
Josh Huber
David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com writes:
Nothing in the README file about the interpreter. Is that a separate
package? If so, it seems like it should at least be listed among the
“recommended” packages for the ‘ruby’ package.
How do I install and start the Ruby interpreter?
The ‘ruby’ binary IS the interpreter.
I tried this the first time and got no response. Now I see I can type
several commands, followed by a ^D, and it executes those commands,
returning to the Unix prompt. That’s not quite what I mean by an
“interpreter”.
If you’re looking for irb, you need to install the irb package.
This is the one !! Thanks.
– Dave
···
On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:23:52 +0900, Josh Huber huber+rt@alum.wpi.edu wrote:
that is an interpreter, and works like perl or many other packages
you run a script doing ‘ruby filename’.
But now, I understand you meant ‘interactive shell’
···
il Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:40:20 -0700, David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com ha scritto::
I tried this the first time and got no response. Now I see I can type
several commands, followed by a ^D, and it executes those commands,
returning to the Unix prompt. That’s not quite what I mean by an
“interpreter”.
I normally think of the “shell” as the program providing the Unix
prompt in a terminal window, and ‘ruby filename’ as a command to run a
program in “batch” mode. But I see now that IDLE has its “interactive
shell” window labled “Python Shell”, so my terminology may be
confused. There is also a “Python (command line)” window which I
never use.
Anyway, I find it very strange that the “interactive shell” is so well
hidden from newbies. How to install and run this program ought to be
clearly stated in the README file and in the tutorial.
Thanks again for your help.
– Dave
···
On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 08:17:20 GMT, gabriele renzi surrender_it@remove.yahoo.it wrote:
il Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:40:20 -0700, David MacQuigg dmq@gain.com ha
scritto::
I tried this the first time and got no response. Now I see I can type
several commands, followed by a ^D, and it executes those commands,
returning to the Unix prompt. That’s not quite what I mean by an
“interpreter”.
that is an interpreter, and works like perl or many other packages
you run a script doing ‘ruby filename’.
But now, I understand you meant ‘interactive shell’
Anyway, I find it very strange that the “interactive shell” is so well
hidden from newbies. How to install and run this program ought to be
clearly stated in the README file and in the tutorial.
Which tutorial? This is a Debian packaging issue, remember.
···
–
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so
ingenious.
Rasputin :: Jack of All Trades - Master of Nuns
Usually, irb is part of the ruby package… on my box (darwin/osx), it
came preinstalled with ruby and irb, when I compiled a new version,
Tehy both were part of the same package, and when I installed it from
the native package manager (fink), it installed both… I think it is
probably an anomaly that debian didn’t install both in the same
package.
Perhaps you should contact the package manager and suggest they
consolidate the packages. It seems to me that the way it is currently
set up, you didn’t get a full installation. I can definately see how it
would be confusing, since irb is always installed with ruby (at least
in versions I have worked with).
–Mark
···
On Feb 24, 2004, at 7:24 AM, David MacQuigg wrote:
Anyway, I find it very strange that the “interactive shell” is so well
hidden from newbies. How to install and run this program ought to be
clearly stated in the README file and in the tutorial.
Part of the problem is Debian specific ( how to find and install a
Debian package ), but a new user could use some clues in the general
introduction. As a Debian user, I know how to find packages in
Debian, but what I did not know was what package to look for ( irb ).
I’m coming from a Python background, so I just typed “ruby” at the
command line, and did not see a prompt for an interactive interpreter.
The information is probably available somewhere, but the two places
new users will most likely look are an introductory tutorial, and a
README file in the top directory of the distribution. Take a look at
chapter 2 of the Python tutorial http://python.org/doc/current/tut/
– Dave
···
On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 00:31:24 +0900, Dick Davies rasputnik@hellooperator.net wrote:
Anyway, I find it very strange that the “interactive shell” is so well
hidden from newbies. How to install and run this program ought to be
clearly stated in the README file and in the tutorial.
Which tutorial? This is a Debian packaging issue, remember.
Note that if you compile Ruby from source, this isn’t an issue. irb is
included with the source tar libraries.
-austin
···
On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 04:14:48 +0900, David MacQuigg wrote:
Part of the problem is Debian specific ( how to find and install a Debian
package ), but a new user could use some clues in the general
introduction. As a Debian user, I know how to find packages in Debian,
but what I did not know was what package to look for ( irb ). I’m coming
from a Python background, so I just typed “ruby” at the command line, and
did not see a prompt for an interactive interpreter.
The information is probably available somewhere, but the two places new
users will most likely look are an introductory tutorial, and a README
file in the top directory of the distribution. Take a look at chapter 2
of the Python tutorial http://python.org/doc/current/tut/
–
austin ziegler * austin@halostatue.ca * Toronto, ON, Canada
software designer * pragmatic programmer * 2004.02.25
* 13.33.35