I have created a Vagrant setup for using a Debian Stable base box at
https://github.com/jhsu802701/vagrant_debian_wheezy_rvm . This base box
comes with current versions of RVM, Git, SQLite, PostgreSQL, Chef,
Puppet,
and node.js preinstalled. My Vagrant box and Vagrant setup allow you to
get started in Ruby on Rails in minutes instead of hours. Because
Vagrant
is available for OS X, Linux, and Windows, a team with members using
different host operating systems can work with fewer platform-related
conflicts. Thus, I have addressed one of the biggest complaints about
Ruby
on Rails - that it takes so much longer to get started compared to
Drupal,
PHP, and other technologies.
I created my own base box, because I had difficulty finding suitable
base
boxes that were ready for Ruby on Rails. Most of the base boxes out
there
that have Ruby on Rails are based on Ubuntu, which quickly becomes
out-of-date without frequent and substantial updates. My Debian Stable
setup is FAR easier to keep up-to-date.
I am making Vagrant part of my standard operating procedure for Ruby on
Rails development. Using Vagrant is more convenient than using
VirtualBox
directly, and the portability of Vagrant setups allows every member of a
team to have the same setup and be on the same page. (That said, I’m
not
giving up on Rails on OS X.)
If you’re wondering how I create my Debian Stable base box, my source
code
is at https://github.com/jhsu802701/packer-debian-wheezy-rvm . I use a
program called Packer to automate the process of creating a Vagrant base
box from a Debian Linux ISO. This repository contains all of the
configurations and scripts I use to create my Debian Stable base box.
Thanks to Derek Rockwell (organizer of Rails.MN) for providing an
example
of a working Vagrant setup at GitHub - railsmn/railsmn-dev-box-obsolete: A virtual machine for Ruby on Rails core development
.
Thanks to Pierre Mavro for providing a working example on how to use
Packer to create a Debian-based base box at
GitHub - deimosfr/packer-debian: Packer configuration to generate Debian VirtualBox image/Vagrant boxes .