Comments on: Rails Development on Windows: Native or Virtualize http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/ The Fastest Way to Launch Successful Software Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:36:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Luis Lavena http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9723 Luis Lavena Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:33:22 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9723 I would have to disagree I've created, worked, bugfixed and deployed several Web applications in Rails to Unix and Solaris servers through the years, all from my small little Windows box. Even more, had the opportunity to mimic specific versions and patchlevels of Ruby without interfering with other versions used by other frameworks or applications, something not easily doable on Linux or OSX. Indeed Windows development is not conceived in the same way as Linux or OSX, but it's true that the lack of information around it make things difficult to resolve. Cygwin performance is a shame, and also current stacks. This is one of the reasons as maintainer of One-Click Ruby Installer project started to work on updated alternatives that simplify life and environment of those using Ruby on Windows. From the RubyInstaller website: http://rubyinstaller.org/ You can access updated installers and even download the Development Kit, which opens the door to install those gems that hasn't been made to work on Windows, yet. I would have to disagree

I’ve created, worked, bugfixed and deployed several Web applications in Rails to Unix and Solaris servers through the years, all from my small little Windows box.

Even more, had the opportunity to mimic specific versions and patchlevels of Ruby without interfering with other versions used by other frameworks or applications, something not easily doable on Linux or OSX.

Indeed Windows development is not conceived in the same way as Linux or OSX, but it’s true that the lack of information around it make things difficult to resolve.

Cygwin performance is a shame, and also current stacks. This is one of the reasons as maintainer of One-Click Ruby Installer project started to work on updated alternatives that simplify life and environment of those using Ruby on Windows.

From the RubyInstaller website:

http://rubyinstaller.org/

You can access updated installers and even download the Development Kit, which opens the door to install those gems that hasn’t been made to work on Windows, yet.

]]> By: Mike http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9722 Mike Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:37:29 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9722 That sounds exactly how I switched to Linux... 10 years ago now. Good to know nothing's changed. :-) Of course, back then I was just a poor college student with a single laptop and virtualization wasn't exactly going to work on my ~300Mhz laptop. I used to do my papers with StarOffice (what became OpenOffice when Sun bought it) and none of my professors ever noticed a difference. Good times. That sounds exactly how I switched to Linux… 10 years ago now. Good to know nothing’s changed. :-)

Of course, back then I was just a poor college student with a single laptop and virtualization wasn’t exactly going to work on my ~300Mhz laptop. I used to do my papers with StarOffice (what became OpenOffice when Sun bought it) and none of my professors ever noticed a difference. Good times.

]]> By: MattR http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9721 MattR Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:37:37 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9721 Aptana uses an implementation of JRuby by default (although you can edit this pretty easily to use RubyStack etc.). I just generally found developing in Windows to be more pain than it's worth -- not just speed, but the tools available (or lack thereof). When you've got ssh, scm options and the three major web servers available with a single command each, why would you bother with anything else? Aptana uses an implementation of JRuby by default (although you can edit this pretty easily to use RubyStack etc.).

I just generally found developing in Windows to be more pain than it’s worth — not just speed, but the tools available (or lack thereof). When you’ve got ssh, scm options and the three major web servers available with a single command each, why would you bother with anything else?

]]> By: Alex http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9720 Alex Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:21:03 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9720 Another nice alternative might be to develop (and maybe deploy) using JRuby. Windows runs the JVM just as well as Linux, so you don't get the big slowdown you get when you use MRI on Windows. Another nice alternative might be to develop (and maybe deploy) using JRuby. Windows runs the JVM just as well as Linux, so you don’t get the big slowdown you get when you use MRI on Windows.

]]> By: John Miller http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9719 John Miller Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:57:22 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9719 This situation was what finally got me to switch to Ubuntu Linux in April 2008. I've not looked back since. This situation was what finally got me to switch to Ubuntu Linux in April 2008. I’ve not looked back since.

]]> By: MattR http://pathfindersoftware.com/2009/08/rails-development-on-windows-native-or-virtualize/#comment-9718 MattR Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:26:49 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/?p=3471#comment-9718 I tried to run Rails on Windows for a while; Aptana was pretty good for the development side, if a bit heavy. (I use TextMate at work, so I prefer the "text editor + command line" setup and don't use most of the features in an IDE.) I didn't have to deal with deployment from that machine, though. In the end, I was running Ubuntu in a virtual machine for development (Jamis Buck has a really good post on setting up MacVim or GVim to include some more TextMate-like features, http://weblog.jamisbuck.org/2008/11/17/vim-follow-up). When my copy of Windows decided (after validating with no problems for 18 months) that it was no longer a genuine copy, I just switched to Ubuntu full time. Haven't looked back. I've found Windows is only really a decent development environment for developing very specifically Windows software (DirectX, ASP.NET etc). Anything else, I'd choose Linux (or OS X) any day. I tried to run Rails on Windows for a while; Aptana was pretty good for the development side, if a bit heavy. (I use TextMate at work, so I prefer the “text editor + command line” setup and don’t use most of the features in an IDE.)

I didn’t have to deal with deployment from that machine, though.

In the end, I was running Ubuntu in a virtual machine for development (Jamis Buck has a really good post on setting up MacVim or GVim to include some more TextMate-like features, http://weblog.jamisbuck.org/2008/11/17/vim-follow-up).

When my copy of Windows decided (after validating with no problems for 18 months) that it was no longer a genuine copy, I just switched to Ubuntu full time. Haven’t looked back.

I’ve found Windows is only really a decent development environment for developing very specifically Windows software (DirectX, ASP.NET etc). Anything else, I’d choose Linux (or OS X) any day.

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