# Finding ruby.h **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [14 January 2009 05:20 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146 "2009-01-14T05:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Ky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@John\_Ky](https://rubytalk.org/u/John_Ky)\ **Post date:** [14 January 2009 05:20 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146/1 "2009-01-14T05:20:00Z")
Hi, I'm building ruby extensions across many different OSes and architectures. Does anyone know an easy way to find ruby.h on any given system? I'm told that perl has a "perl -V" or @ENV variable which gives some paths I can look through for perl.h. Does Ruby have an equivalent? Is there a better way to find ruby.h? Thanks, -John ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_Hinegardner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@Jeremy\_Hinegardner](https://rubytalk.org/u/Jeremy_Hinegardner)\ **Post date:** [14 January 2009 05:44 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146/2 "2009-01-14T05:44:41Z")
This works on a couple of my systems:     require 'rbconfig'     loc = File.join( Config::CONFIG['archdir'], 'ruby.h')     if File.exist?( loc ) then       puts loc     else       puts "Unable to find ruby.h in #{loc}"     end enjoy, -jeremy > **···** > > On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 02:20:00PM +0900, John Ky wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I'm building ruby extensions across many different OSes and architectures. > > > > Does anyone know an easy way to find ruby.h on any given system? > > > > I'm told that perl has a "perl -V" or @ENV variable which gives some paths I > > can look through for perl.h. > > > > Does Ruby have an equivalent? Is there a better way to find ruby.h? > > # -- > > Jeremy Hinegardner jeremy@hinegardner.org ---
**Author:** ![LaP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@LaP](https://rubytalk.org/u/LaP)\ **Post date:** [14 January 2009 16:59 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146/3 "2009-01-14T16:59:11Z")
John Ky a écrit : > I'm building ruby extensions across many different OSes and architectures. > > Does anyone know an easy way to find ruby.h on any given system? > > I'm told that perl has a "perl -V" or @ENV variable which gives some paths I > can look through for perl.h. > > Does Ruby have an equivalent? Is there a better way to find ruby.h? My first idea for this kind of problem would be to check GNU autoconf / configure.sh LaP ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Harrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@Dave\_Harrison](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dave_Harrison)\ **Post date:** [14 January 2009 17:39 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146/4 "2009-01-14T17:39:06Z")
John Ky wrote: > [Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.] > > Hi, > > I'm building ruby extensions across many different OSes and architectures. > > Does anyone know an easy way to find ruby.h on any given system? > > I'm told that perl has a "perl -V" or @ENV variable which gives some paths I > can look through for perl.h. > > Does Ruby have an equivalent? Is there a better way to find ruby.h? > > Thanks, > > -John I have used CMake to make a SWIG wrapper with success on Windows and Linux. The FindRuby.cmake script does all of the hard work at locating Ruby.h. CMake-2.6.2 (and possibly others) includes FindRuby.cmake and can be used like so: (Note: FindRuby.cmake doesn't export RUBY\_FOUND, so I create that var myself) Main CMakeLists.txt: ... SET(RUBY\_FOUND FALSE) FIND\_PACKAGE( Ruby) if(RUBY\_INCLUDE\_PATH AND RUBY\_LIBRARY) SET(RUBY\_FOUND TRUE) endif(RUBY\_INCLUDE\_PATH AND RUBY\_LIBRARY) ... if(RUBY\_FOUND) INCLUDE\_DIRECTORIES( ${RUBY\_INCLUDE\_PATH}) endif(RUBY\_FOUND) ... CMakeLists.txt for each library in app: ... if(RUBY\_FOUND) SET\_SOURCE\_FILES\_PROPERTIES(RbDynamic.i PROPERTIES SWIG\_FLAGS "-autorename") SET\_SOURCE\_FILES\_PROPERTIES(RbDynamic.i PROPERTIES CPLUSPLUS ON) SET\_SOURCE\_FILES\_PROPERTIES(RbDynamic.i PROPERTIES SWIG\_FLAGS "-includeall") SWIG\_ADD\_MODULE( rbdynamic ruby RbDynamic.i ) SWIG\_LINK\_LIBRARIES( rbdynamic ${RUBY\_LIBRARY} ${MIIND\_LIBRARY\_PREFIX}dynamic ) endif(RUBY\_FOUND) ... CMake is a doddle to use if you don't already know it, and is cross platform (I've only used Windows and Linux). Check it out at [www.cmake.org](http://www.cmake.org) Dave H. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Ky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@John\_Ky](https://rubytalk.org/u/John_Ky)\ **Post date:** [15 January 2009 04:53 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/finding-ruby-h/51146/5 "2009-01-15T04:53:22Z")
Hi all, Thanks everyone for your help. I've settled with this solution as I've already got it working. Very much appreciated! -John > **···** > > On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 4:44 PM, Jeremy Hinegardner \wrote: > > > On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 02:20:00PM +0900, John Ky wrote: > > \> Hi, > > \> > > \> I'm building ruby extensions across many different OSes and > > architectures. > > \> > > \> Does anyone know an easy way to find ruby.h on any given system? > > \> > > \> I'm told that perl has a "perl -V" or @ENV variable which gives some > > paths I > > \> can look through for perl.h. > > \> > > \> Does Ruby have an equivalent? Is there a better way to find ruby.h? > > > > This works on a couple of my systems: > > > >    require 'rbconfig' > >    loc = File.join( Config::CONFIG['archdir'], 'ruby.h') > >    if File.exist?( loc ) then > >      puts loc > >    else > >      puts "Unable to find ruby.h in #{loc}" > >    end > > > > enjoy, > > > > -jeremy > > > > # -- > > > > Jeremy Hinegardner jeremy@hinegardner.org