# From ncurse to Ruby

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/from-ncurse-to-ruby/110946>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 1, 2007, 9:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/from-ncurse-to-ruby/110946 "2007-08-01T09:52:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seshu)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/from-ncurse-to-ruby/110946/1 "2007-08-01T09:52:10Z")

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Hi,

Currently I have a console based application on Linux. I want to move to  
a Text based Menu UI using ncurses. But I came to know that Ruby would  
be more easy to develop and flexible and powerful. Can any one comment  
on this aspect to guide me in making a correct choice?

I downloaded the Ruby source ruby-1.8.6. I compiled the source and  
installed. But the GUI tool kit TK is not binding and throwing an error  
on executing an .rb file, like  
“HelloWorld.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – tk (LoadError)”

Could anyone help me out?

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**Author:** ![seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seshu)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/from-ncurse-to-ruby/110946/2 "2007-08-01T14:08:20Z")

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Seshu Vaddi wrote:

> I downloaded the Ruby source ruby-1.8.6. I compiled the source and  
> installed. But the GUI tool kit TK is not binding and throwing an error  
> on executing an .rb file, like  
> “HelloWorld.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – tk (LoadError)”

Don’t compile Ruby. There’s some system to add tk support when you  
compile; don’t bother. Just install Ruby and a matching RubyTk library  
from your distro.

On my Ubuntu, I search up the correct package like this:

apt-cache search ruby | grep -i tk

then install it like this:

sudo apt-get install libtk-ruby

Uninstall whatever you did, first, then use your platform’s package  
manager to install a complete set of integrated packages.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@seshu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seshu)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 9:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/from-ncurse-to-ruby/110946/3 "2007-08-02T09:36:08Z")

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Thank you very much Phlip.

I gone thru your reply. But I am using RedHat.

I compiled the tcl8.4.15-src.tar.gz and tk8.4.15-src.tar.gz.  
But Ruby I compiled independently. Is there any way whick binds the Tk  
library with Ruby with all being compiled independently.

Regards  
Seshu.