As software developers, keeping our tools up-to-date is essential to stay ahead of the game. One such tool is the Ruby programming language, which frequently releases new versions with improved performance and security. In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of updating your Ruby installation.
Step 1: Check your current Ruby version
Before updating Ruby, it’s a good idea to verify your current version. To do this, open your terminal or command prompt and enter the following command:
ruby -v
This will display your current Ruby version, e.g., “ruby 2.6.3p62”.
Step 2: Install a Ruby version manager
There are several Ruby version managers available, but two of the most popular options are RVM (Ruby Version Manager) and rbenv. We’ll provide instructions for both.
Option 1: Installing RVM
To install RVM, open your terminal and execute the following commands:
gpg2 --recv-keys 409B6B1796C275462A1703113804BB82D39DC0E3 7D2BAF1CF37B13E2069D6956105BD0E739499BDB
curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable
These commands will import the required keys and install RVM. After installation, restart your terminal and check if RVM is successfully installed using the command:
rvm -v
Option 2: Installing rbenv
For MacOS users, you can install rbenv using Homebrew:
brew install rbenv
rbenv init
For Linux users, follow these commands:
git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc
exec $SHELL
git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
exec $SHELL
After installation, restart your terminal and check if rbenv is successfully installed using the command:
rbenv -v
Step 3: Install the latest Ruby version
Visit the official Ruby website to find the latest stable version number. Then follow these instructions based on the version manager you selected:
Option 1: Installing the latest Ruby version using RVM
In your terminal, run the following command (replace “x.x.x” with the latest version number):
rvm install x.x.x
rvm use x.x.x --default
This will install the specified Ruby version and set it as the default version.
Option 2: Installing the latest Ruby version using rbenv
In your terminal, run the following command (replace “x.x.x” with the latest version number):
rbenv install x.x.x
rbenv global x.x.x
This will install the specified Ruby version and set it as the global version.
Step 4: Verify the updated Ruby version
Finally, after updating Ruby, run the following command to ensure you’re now using the latest version:
ruby -v
If the output shows the updated version number, congratulations! You have successfully updated Ruby on your system.
Now that you have the latest version of Ruby installed, you’re ready to continue developing and taking advantage of the latest features and improvements. Remember to periodically check for new Ruby releases and keep your system up-to-date. Happy coding!