# Equivalent of Python's virtualenv

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 4, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831 "2009-12-04T22:24:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e9c0ed/32.png) [@vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vineire77)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831/1 "2009-12-04T22:24:52Z")

</div>

Does anyone know of a Ruby equivalent of Python’s virtualenv? I need to  
start getting up to speed on some stuff and think this would be a great  
way to do it… Safely.

Thanks in advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e9c0ed/32.png) [@vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vineire77)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831/2 "2009-12-04T22:33:54Z")

</div>

T. B. wrote:

> Does anyone know of a Ruby equivalent of Python’s virtualenv? I need to  
> start getting up to speed on some stuff and think this would be a great  
> way to do it… Safely.

Perhaps Try Ruby would have something useful? I _think_ it’s  
open-source.

> Thanks in advance.

Best,  
–Â  
Marnen Laibow-Koser  
[http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e9c0ed/32.png) [@vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vineire77)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831/3 "2009-12-04T23:03:43Z")

</div>

On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 3:34 PM, Marnen Laibow-Koser [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> T. B. wrote:
> 
> > Does anyone know of a Ruby equivalent of Python’s virtualenv? I need to  
> > start getting up to speed on some stuff and think this would be a great  
> > way to do it… Safely.
> 
> Perhaps Try Ruby would have something useful? I _think_ it’s  
> open-source.

Maintainer of Try Ruby here.

No Try Ruby isn’t a sandbox, at least not yet.  
That’s what I was asking about the other day.

Your best bet would be a Rakefile that freezes the gems you want  
isolated and maybe use ruby version manager.

The why\_sandbox isn’t ready for 1.9 and is only a sandbox in the sense  
that it overwrites certain method calls like File and Kernel.

Andrew McElroy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e9c0ed/32.png) [@vineire77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vineire77)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/equivalent-of-pythons-virtualenv/179831/4 "2009-12-04T23:24:12Z")

</div>

On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 4:24 PM, T. B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Does anyone know of a Ruby equivalent of Python’s virtualenv? I need to  
> start getting up to speed on some stuff and think this would be a great  
> way to do it… Safely.

Rip seems like it’s pretty close to being ideal for what you want:

[http://hellorip.com](http://hellorip.com)