# Dual boot system -- share installed gems

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dual-boot-system-share-installed-gems/157998>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 17, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dual-boot-system-share-installed-gems/157998 "2009-01-17T16:05:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dkmd\_nielsen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@dkmd\_nielsen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dkmd_nielsen)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dual-boot-system-share-installed-gems/157998/1 "2009-01-17T16:05:28Z")

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I have a dual boot computer – Linux and XP. There is a shared data  
partition that the two access. Would it be possible to have the ruby  
gem repository on that shared drive such that my Ruby environment is  
the same no matter which operating system I startup? Meaning, I  
install a new gem on the Windows side. When I startup Linux, that gem  
is installed and available.

dvn

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dkmd\_nielsen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/958977/32.png) [@dkmd\_nielsen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dkmd_nielsen)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dual-boot-system-share-installed-gems/157998/2 "2009-01-17T17:47:04Z")

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dkmd\_nielsen wrote:

> I have a dual boot computer – Linux and XP. There is a shared data  
> partition that the two access. Would it be possible to have the ruby  
> gem repository on that shared drive such that my Ruby environment is  
> the same no matter which operating system I startup? Meaning, I  
> install a new gem on the Windows side. When I startup Linux, that gem  
> is installed and available.
> 
> dvn

It’s probably possible, and it might seem easier at first but sooner or  
later you’ll run into problems I think. For example, gems that have  
native compiled binaries, they cannot be shared between XP and linux so  
you would have to install them separately anyway. (Unless you compile  
them all for windows and then use Wine on linux, which would  
be…horrible :P)

I think in the long run, two different gem homes will be a lot easier  
even though it doesn’t sound it at first.

HTH

Matt