Ruby gems in user land ($HOME)

Ruby gems in user land ($HOME)

[Pjotr Prins]

In the document I describe how you can install cleanly separated Ruby
gems in $HOME using the Ruby gem command that comes with GNU Guix:

  https://github.com/pjotrp/guix-notes/blob/master/RUBY#L152
 
It requires some manipulation of environment vars. A wrapper script
may automate this.

For Ruby developers this is the perfect setup, allowing clean and easy
switching between different rubies and gems.

System-level gem support will come later which will support gems
that live in the store (each gem under its own store path). That will
be incredible useful for deployment.

Pj.

Re: Ruby gems in user land ($HOME)

[Ludovic Courtès]

Pjotr Prins <pjotr.public12@thebird.nl> skribis:

> In the document I describe how you can install cleanly separated Ruby
> gems in $HOME using the Ruby gem command that comes with GNU Guix:
>
>   https://github.com/pjotrp/guix-notes/blob/master/RUBY#L152

Nice.

> export GEM_PATH=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/2.1.0                    
> export GEM_HOME=$GEM_PATH                                                                           
> export GEM_SPEC_CACHE=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/specs              

I suspect this won’t be very convenient.  ;-)  I’m not sure what can be
done to help.

> System-level gem support will come later which will support gems
> that live in the store (each gem under its own store path). That will
> be incredible useful for deployment.

Yes, I think this would be best.  And in particular, it would nicely
solve the usability problem above.

Thanks!

Ludo’.

Re: Ruby gems in user land ($HOME)

[Pjotr Prins]

On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 10:23:19AM +0100, Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> > export GEM_PATH=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/2.1.0                    
> > export GEM_HOME=$GEM_PATH                                                                           
> > export GEM_SPEC_CACHE=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/specs              
> 
> I suspect this won???t be very convenient.  ;-)  I???m not sure what can be
> done to help.

Patching ruby in a few places would be enough. Alternatively have a
wrapper script that sets these default values, unless they already are
defined. Would you accept such patches?

Pj.

Re: Ruby gems in user land ($HOME)

[Ludovic Courtès]

Pjotr Prins <pjotr.public12@thebird.nl> skribis:

> On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 10:23:19AM +0100, Ludovic Courtès wrote:
>> > export GEM_PATH=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/2.1.0                    
>> > export GEM_HOME=$GEM_PATH                                                                           
>> > export GEM_SPEC_CACHE=/home/wrk/.gem/ziy7a6zib846426kprc7fgimggh8bz97-ruby-2.1.3/specs              
>> 
>> I suspect this won???t be very convenient.  ;-)  I???m not sure what can be
>> done to help.
>
> Patching ruby in a few places would be enough. Alternatively have a
> wrapper script that sets these default values, unless they already are
> defined. Would you accept such patches?

In general, I think it’s better to avoid diverging from upstream, so I’d
rather not patch Ruby itself.

As for a wrapper, I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound very nice either.
But really, the best thing to work on would be Gems as Guix packages.
:-)

Ludo’.