Best OS packages for Ruby?

[Fabian Streitel]

[Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]

This is a separate issue, and one you didn't address.

Yes I did: Write in 1.8.6 if that's gonna be an issue for you. If you want
portability and stability, write for 1.8.6. Noone's forcing you to use 1.8.7

The problem comes when 1.8.7 breaks legacy code


As Joel VanderWerf pointed out, there isn't very much code in 1.8.7 that
actually breaks things.

, and adds all these new
features, which are really all in 1.9 anyway. The only reason you'd want to
use 1.8.7 instead of 1.8.6 is to have those features, right? But the only
reason you'd want to use 1.8.7 instead of 1.9 is you had legacy code that
breaks in 1.9.

So you're basically trying to have it both ways, which really doesn't make
sense.

Yes, sure it does. You're probably thinking big-time applications. I'm
thinking
much smaller. I'm not a corporate Ruby-writer, I'm a home-scripting
geek-guy.
I write small applications, mostly for myself and like 2 other people.

And I love 1.8.7
I don't have to worry about gems not working with it, but I still get to use
all
the nice features I wouldn't wanna miss for the world.

Again: If you want either only stability and compatibility or only the
bleeding-edge
stuff -- pick any other version. I'm not stopping you...

Also, 1.9.1 is very often not distributed as a binary package yet (at least
not on
my distro) and I personally hate to compile stuff from source, when there is
a
perfectly viable alternative available as a binary.

Greetz!

 

[Tim Hunter]

Yes I did: Write in 1.8.6 if that's gonna be an issue for you. If you want
portability and stability, write for 1.8.6. Noone's forcing you to use 1.8.7

The problem comes when 1.8.7 breaks legacy code


As Joel VanderWerf pointed out, there isn't very much code in 1.8.7 that
actually breaks things.

http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/328269

The conclusion was that 1.8.7 didn't actually break _any_ legacy code
except for the two minor issues (since fixed) mentioned in that post.
It's always possible that somebody who wasn't in on that thread back
then knows of something new. Perhaps they could post the facts here on
ruby-talk.

Until we have some facts, though, I think it's better not to promote any
FUD about 1.8.7. I'm not trying to promote 1.8.7 or anything, but it has
its place and I don't want new folks getting the wrong impression.

 

[Fabian Streitel]

[Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]

The conclusion was that 1.8.7 didn't actually break _any_ legacy code
except for the two minor issues (since fixed) mentioned in that post. It's
always possible that somebody who wasn't in on that thread back then knows
of something new. Perhaps they could post the facts here on ruby-talk.

great, thank you! I totally agree.