# Basics on Installing a plugin **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 30, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795 "2007-11-30T23:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/1 "2007-11-30T23:23:12Z")
OK this should be simple but I have read other guides and I just don’t get it. I found a plugin I want to install. Here is its directory with all the stuff I assume i needed installed: [http://topfunky.net/svn/plugins/calendar\_helper/](http://topfunky.net/svn/plugins/calendar_helper/) I have read: [http://nubyonrails.com/articles/the-complete-guide-to-rails-plugins-part-i](http://nubyonrails.com/articles/the-complete-guide-to-rails-plugins-part-i) I don’t understand exactly he suggests I do where. I tried going into my rails aps directory and typing: ruby script/plugin install [http://rails-twelve-hour-time-plugin.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/12\_hour\_time/](http://rails-twelve-hour-time-plugin.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/12_hour_time/) It couldnt find it. (I rechecked the url too) I am unclear if I should really be in the rails app directory or where. I am unclear if I should somehow try to drag and drop the desired add on into the rails app library. I see some references to SVN in other forum posts on plugins and I don’t really know what that means to me and if I need SVN and how to get it. Which directory should I be in when I install a gem or svn if i need to do that?(rails\_apps or above that?.. does it matter?) I tried installing a gem called rapt which seemed to say it worked but I couldn’t seem to use the rapt search. Actually this wiki page seems to suggest I need subversion (I guess svn is subversive). [http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/plugins](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/plugins) I followed the Subversion link but it didn’t really inform me. Questions… Should I really learn what subversion is? Anyone got a decent subversion for noobies link? Do I really need subversion to install a plugin or am I just missing a simple command context line? I have a feeling I am asking some of the wrong questions but I’m trying to be more specific about what I am not understanding in the existing how-to for plugins resources. ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/2 "2007-12-01T00:24:27Z")
Subversion is a version control system. It allows you to track the history of your source code and makes collaboration much easier, since people can submit changes, get updates, and resolve conflicts regardless of their physical location. Version control is an invaluable tool in a programmer’s toolbox and is definitely something you should learn more about. [http://svnbook.red-bean.com](http://svnbook.red-bean.com) is an excellent reference. You only need to read the first couple of chapters to get a handle on the basics. Many rails plugins do require subversion to install, but this one doesn’t. If the URL begins with svn://, then subversion is required. You should run script/plugin from the root of the directory that was generated by the rails command, not in the app directory. That is, when you type ls or dir (depending on your operating system), you should see app, config, lib, log, and so forth. If, after running the plugin command, you get something like “ruby: No such file or directory – script/plugin (LoadError)”, then you’re in the wrong place. The command you tried should work if you’re running it from the correct place. If it doesn’t, I suspect there’s probably a network issue of some sort. Are you behind a proxy? Give us the exact error message and someone can probably help you. On Nov 30, 6:23 pm, Tom N. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/3 "2007-12-01T01:43:00Z")
Thank you for the help. Strange, but the second time I tried it, instead of an error message I got a message that the plugin was Already installed! Thank you for the link for the svnbook. I guess it is something a person actually needs to learn a bit about to use it. I’ll put in on my must\_get\_around\_to\_using list along with Capistrano (right?) and perhaps apana/rad rails ide. Always another learning curve to sneak up on you while learning it seems! ; ) ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/4 "2007-12-01T02:02:10Z")
Bother, The I re-started the server and the plugin doesnt seem to be functioning. I’ll bat around at it BUT. when I install a plugin, shouldn’t I be able to see it in the Lib directory? I don’t see anything at all in the lib or the tasks sub-directory. ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/5 "2007-12-01T03:13:31Z")
The plugin will install into the vendor/plugins directory. ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/6 "2007-12-01T03:36:09Z")
HiddenBek wrote: > The plugin will install into the vendor/plugins directory. hoot! finally works thank you. I did need to use --force to make it work, then the files did appear in vendor/plugins and the feature actually worked after a server restart… thank you. Well now I guess I can install more complicated plugins if I want : ) ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/7 "2007-12-01T04:22:29Z")
> hoot! Glad to hear it. I believe “w00t!” is technically the correct term 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tomn](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/basics-on-installing-a-plugin/121795/8 "2007-12-01T03:00:04Z")
Just because it thinks the plugin is installed doesn’t necessarily mean it installed correctly the first time. Rails won’t attempt a reinstall if the directory for that plugin already exists, even if the previous install failed halfway through. I would suggest adding – force to the end of the command to force a reinstall, just to be sure. If you don’t get an error, you should be good to go. On Nov 30, 8:43 pm, Tom N. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)