# Installing Ruby on Ubuntu 24.04

Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented programming language perfect for creating basic scripts to complex web applications. It offers a modern syntax for productivity, runs with an interpreter instead of a compiler, and provides a wide range of frameworks for various projects. This guide covers installing Ruby on Ubuntu 24.04 using rbenv, RVM, and APT. By the end, you'll have a working Ruby installation, with the option to manage and switch between multiple Ruby versions on the same server, following Ruby environment setup practices documented in [**Vultr Docs**](https://docs.vultr.com/how-to-install-ruby-on-ubuntu-24-04).

* * *

## Install Ruby Using rbenv

`rbenv` is a Ruby version manager that lets you install multiple versions of Ruby and switch between them.

**1\. Install all required dependencies for the** `ruby-build` **plugin to download and compile Ruby:**

```console
sudo apt install autoconf patch build-essential rustc libssl-dev libyaml-dev libreadline6-dev zlib1g-dev libgmp-dev libncurses5-dev libffi-dev libgdbm6 libgdbm-dev libdb-dev libtool uuid-dev
```

**2\. Install the latest rbenv installation script:**

```console
curl -fsSL https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv-installer/raw/HEAD/bin/rbenv-installer | bash
```

**3\. Add the rbenv path to the** `.bashrc` **file:**

```console
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
```

**4\. Reload the** `.bashrc` **shell configuration to apply the path changes in your active session:**

```console
source ~/.bashrc
```

**5\. View the installed rbenv version:**

```console
rbenv -v
```

Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
rbenv 1.3.0-9-gefeab7f
```

**6\. List all available Ruby versions you can install:**

```console
rbenv install -l
```

Note the target Ruby version in your output similar to the one below:

```plaintext
3.1.6
3.2.6
3.3.6
jruby-9.4.9.0
mruby-3.3.0
picoruby-3.0.0
truffleruby-24.1.1
truffleruby+graalvm-24.1.1

Only latest stable releases for each Ruby implementation are shown.
Use `rbenv install --list-all' to show all local versions.
```

**7\. Install your target Ruby version.** For example, `3.3.6`:

```console
rbenv install 3.3.6
```

The installation process may take `3-5` minutes to complete depending on the available server resources.

**8\. Set the installed Ruby version as the default if the installation is successful:**

```console
rbenv global 3.3.6
```

**9\. View the installed Ruby version:**

```console
ruby --version
```

Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
ruby 3.3.6 (2024-11-05 revision 75015d4c1f) [x86_64-linux]
```

* * *

## Install Ruby Using RVM

Ruby Version Manager (RVM), also known as Ruby environment manager, is a command-line tool used to install, manage, and work with multiple Ruby environments on a server.

**1\. Install the required GPG keys for RVM:**

```console
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 409B6B1796C275462A1703113804BB82D39DC0E3 7D2BAF1CF37B13E2069D6956105BD0E739499BDB
```

**2\. Install RVM:**

```console
curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s
```

**3\. Load RVM into your shell environment:**

```console
source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm
```

**4\. List and install all the RVM system requirements:**

```console
rvm requirements
```

Enter your sudo user password when prompted to update the server's package index. Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
Checking requirements for ubuntu.
Installing requirements for ubuntu.
.....................
Installing required packages: autoconf, automake, bison, libffi-dev, libgdbm-dev, libsqlite3-dev, libtool, libyaml-dev, sqlite3, libgmp-dev, libncurses-dev, libreadline-dev, libssl-dev...............
Requirements installation successful.
```

**5\. View the installed RVM version:**

```console
rvm -v
```

Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
rvm 1.29.12-next (master) by Michal Papis, Piotr Kuczynski, Wayne E. Seguin [https://rvm.io]
```

**6\. List the available Ruby versions you can install:**

```console
rvm list known
```

Note the target Ruby version in your output similar to the one below:

```plaintext
# MRI Rubies
[ruby-]1.8.6[-p420]
[ruby-]1.8.7[-head] # security released on head
[ruby-]1.9.1[-p431]
[ruby-]1.9.2[-p330]
[ruby-]1.9.3[-p551]
[ruby-]2.0.0[-p648]
[ruby-]2.1[.10]
[ruby-]2.2[.10]
[ruby-]2.3[.8]
[ruby-]2.4[.10]
[ruby-]2.5[.9]
[ruby-]2.6[.10]
[ruby-]2.7[.8]
[ruby-]3.0[.7]
[ruby-]3.1[.5]
[ruby-]3.2[.6]
[ruby-]3[.3.6]
[ruby-]3.4[.0-preview1]
ruby-head
............
```

**7\. Install a specific Ruby version.** For example, `3.3.6`:

```console
rvm install 3.3.6
```

**8\. Set the installed Ruby version as the default:**

```console
rvm --default use 3.3.6
```

**9\. View all installed Ruby versions:**

```console
rvm list
```

Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
=* ruby-3.3.6 [ x86_64 ]

# => - current
# =* - current && default
#  * - default
```

* * *

## Install Ruby Using APT

Ruby is available in the default APT package manager repositories, but the included version is not the latest.

**1\. Update the server's package index:**

```console
sudo apt update
```

**2\. Install Ruby:**

```console
sudo apt install ruby-full
```

**3\. View the installed Ruby version:**

```console
ruby --version
```

Your output should be similar to the one below:

```plaintext
ruby 3.2.3 (2024-01-18 revision 52bb2ac0a6) [x86_64-linux-gnu]
```

* * *

## Uninstall Ruby

**1\. Uninstall a specific Ruby version using rbenv.** For example, `3.3.6`:

```console
rbenv uninstall 3.3.6
```

**2\. Remove a specific Ruby version using RVM:**

```console
rvm remove 3.3.6
```

**3\. Uninstall Ruby installed using APT:**

```console
sudo apt autoremove ruby-full
```

* * *

## Next Steps

You now have Ruby installed on Ubuntu 24.04 using rbenv, RVM, and/or APT, with the ability to install and switch between multiple Ruby versions. From here, you can:

*   Install a Ruby framework such as Rails or Sinatra to start building web applications
    
*   Set a per-project Ruby version with a `.ruby-version` file when using rbenv or RVM
    
*   Set up `bundler` to manage gem dependencies for your projects
    
*   Review the [RVM Documentation](https://rvm.io/) or [rbenv Manual Page](https://rbenv.org/man/rbenv.1) for advanced version management
    

For the full guide with additional tips, visit the original article on [**Vultr Docs**](https://docs.vultr.com/how-to-install-ruby-on-ubuntu-24-04).