# Installing ruby on linux mint 18

**URL:** https://rubytalk.org/t/installing-ruby-on-linux-mint-18/73798
**Category:** ruby-talk
**Created:** [5 September 2016 07:27 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/installing-ruby-on-linux-mint-18/73798 "2016-09-05T07:27:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![sbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@sbh](https://rubytalk.org/u/sbh)
#### Post date: [5 September 2016 07:27 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/installing-ruby-on-linux-mint-18/73798/1 "2016-09-05T07:27:43Z")

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Hello all.

I want to install ruby in a certain folder, and by using configure's  
PREFIX and EXECPREFIX, etc., keep the installation all contained in this  
folder. For instance a folder on my desktop, called Ruby, e.g.  
~/Desktop/Ruby

I tried both,

$ svn co [http://svn.ruby-lang.org/repos/ruby/trunk](http://svn.ruby-lang.org/repos/ruby/trunk) ruby

and

$ svn co [http://svn.ruby-lang.org/repos/ruby/branches/ruby\_2\_3](http://svn.ruby-lang.org/repos/ruby/branches/ruby_2_3)

but I kept running into errors about not finding header files like  
ruby.h. So it was suggested I do

apt-get install rubyX rubyX-dev

but I really want it all self-contained in the folder on my desktop,  
much like Anaconda/Python is.

So how do I install the equivalent of rubyX and rubyX-dev (via apt) in  
my Desktop folder using git or svn?

Thanks much!  
Brett