Welcome to the download site for the Ruby/Rails Teaching Edition. This is a
special, small distribution of Ruby on Rails that works on a USB stick
or anywhere in a file system. There are versions for Mac OS/X
and Windows to install on your computers.
There is a special version specifically for the DIAD labs at the University of Michigan where the software is already pre-installed in AFS. The DIAD version will not work anywhere else.
For each of the versions, there is a PDF document with instructions, a file to download, and a podcast. For each, use a right-click or control-click to save the files to your Desktop. See the Documentation for Details.
The first step is to download the Documentation and print it out. The Podcasts are very detailed and go though the installation step-by-step and click by click.
If this is your first time using Macintosh Terminal windows or the Windows command line interface - you would be well served to download the podcast before you start, and do the installation while following follow along with the podcast. This is quite simple once you get the hang of it - but for those unfamiliar with command line interfaces - it can be quite challenging. The podcasts really help clarify the written documentation.
| Operating System | Documentation | Podcast | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Documentation | Podcast (13 min) | Software |
| Mac OS 10.5 | Documentation | Podcast (11 min) | N/A |
| Mac OS 10.4 | Documentation | Podcast (14 min) | Software |
| Mac / DIAD Lab (*) | Documentation | Podcast (13 min) | Script |
(*) Only suitable for use at the University of Michigan.
The podcasts go through the installation process in great detail. You may want to download the podcasts before you start and watch them.
You may need to install Apple Qucktime to view the podcasts.
In addition to the software you download from this site - you should also download and install these programs:
If you are teaching a class or otherwise have a need for a Rails 1.2 on a USB stick or want to install Rails in a Lab environment on a shared server - feel free to download and use these distributions and adapt them. The setup scripts are actually quite simple and easy to understand and modify.
If you have questions or comments on or suggested improvements for the documentation, contact Dr. Chuck at www.dr-chuck.com.