If you absolutely must have a Windows development environment, you may want
to consider a JVM-based scripting language, like Groovy or JRuby. All the
cross-platform advantages, none of the woe. Or, not as much, at
least (there's always a modicum of woe with anything you decide on).

-Ross.

On Tuesday, October 1, 2013, Joshua Welker wrote:

> I'm using Windows 7 x64 SP1. I am using the most recent RubyInstaller
> (2.0.0-p247 x64) and DevKit (DevKit-mingw64-64-4.7.2-2013022-1432-sfx).
>
> That's disappointing to hear that most folks use Ruby exclusively in *nix
> environments. That really limits its utility for me. I am trying Ruby
> because dealing with HTTP in Java is a huge pain, and I was having
> difficulties setting up a Python environment in Windows, too (go figure).
>
> Josh Welker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>]
> On Behalf Of
> David Mayo
> Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2013 3:44 PM
> To: [log in to unmask] <javascript:;>
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Ruby on Windows
>
> DevKit is a MingW/MSYS wrapper for Windows Ruby development.  It might not
> be finding it, but he does have a C dev environment.
>
> I know you cut them out earlier, but would you mind sending some of the C
> Header Blather our way?  It's probably got some clues as to what's going
> on.
>
> Also - which versions of Windows, RubyInstaller, and DevKit are you using?
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 4:38 PM, Ross Singer <[log in to unmask]<javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > It's probably also possible to get these working within Cygwin.
> > Assuming the libraries you need to compile against are available in
> > Cygwin, of course.
> >
> > -Ross.
> >
> > On Oct 1, 2013, at 4:28 PM, "Michael J. Giarlo" <
> > [log in to unmask] <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > Our Windows-based devs all do their Ruby work on Ubuntu and Fedora
> > > VMs, FWIW.
> > >
> > > -Mike
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Justin Coyne
> > ><[log in to unmask] <javascript:;>
> > >wrote:
> > >
> > >> If you see something about C-extensions, it's because the library
> > >> is not written in pure Ruby, it is a wrapper around a library written
> in C.
> >  Your
> > >> system may not have the C compiler or some of the libraries needed
> > >> to compile or link the extension.
> > >>
> > >> Justin Coyne
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 2:49 PM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]<javascript:;>
> >
> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> I am attempting to write my first small Ruby app, but I am running
> > >>> into major problems just getting off the ground developing in
> > >>> Windows. I downloaded the most recent Ruby 2.0 package from
> > >>> RubyInstaller. Then I installed DevKit so I could use gems. After
> > >>> some fiddling, I was
> > finally
> > >>> able to install some gems.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Some.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> For any given gem I try to install, there's about a 25% chance
> > >>> that I
> > get
> > >>> this byzantine error:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.
> > >>>
> > >>> [.a whole bunch of gibberish about C headers and so forth.]
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> In particular, I am trying to install the Blather XMPP client. I
> > >>> am
> > >> tempted
> > >>> to just give up and develop on Linux, but I am wanting to deploy
> > >>> this script to Windows machines and figure I might run into
> > >>> problems if I
> > >> don't
> > >>> develop in Windows. I have Googled the heck out of this issue and
> > >>> can't find anything that is similar to my case (the solutions on
> > >>> the RubyInstaller Github wiki did not work). Do any of you Ruby
> > >>> people know
> > >> why
> > >>> I might be having this error so frequently in my Windows
> environment?
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Josh Welker
> > >>>
> > >>> Information Technology Librarian
> > >>>
> > >>> James C. Kirkpatrick Library
> > >>>
> > >>> University of Central Missouri
> > >>>
> > >>> Warrensburg, MO 64093
> > >>>
> > >>> JCKL 2260
> > >>>
> > >>> 660.543.8022
> > >>>
> > >>
> >
>