# How to use unpacked GEMS

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 15, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430 "2006-06-15T04:24:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/liquid)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430/1 "2006-06-15T04:24:11Z")

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I have discovered the command unpack for gems. This is very conveinent  
since I cannot get onto the net at work where I want to install some  
gems.

Once I have unpacked them, what do I do with them?

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**Author:** ![liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/liquid)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430/2 "2006-06-15T04:40:47Z")

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Daniel ----- wrote:

> I have discovered the command unpack for gems. This is very conveinent  
> since I cannot get onto the net at work where I want to install some  
> gems.
> 
> Once I have unpacked them, what do I do with them?

Well, if you want to install them, don’t unpack them. If you don’t have  
net access, just copy the gems directly to a local directory and then  
install them with the gem command. E.g.

gem install some-gem-1.0.0.gem

Where some-gem-1.0.0.gem is a local file. No need to do any unpacking  
if this is all you need.

Be aware that the gem command does not process dependencies when doing a  
local install, so you have to make sure all the dependencies are  
properlly instaled as well.

– Jim W.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/liquid)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430/3 "2006-06-15T05:39:38Z")

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Is there a convienient way to download the gems and their dependencies  
and  
just storing the .gem files?

say something like  
gem download rails --include-dependencies

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/liquid)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430/4 "2006-06-15T14:08:07Z")

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Cheers Thanx for the info

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/47e85d/32.png) [@liquid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/liquid)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-use-unpacked-gems/63430/5 "2006-06-15T14:00:55Z")

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Daniel ----- wrote:

> Is there a convienient way to download the gems and their dependencies  
> and  
> just storing the .gem files?
> 
> say something like  
> gem download rails --include-dependencies

Interesting idea, but no, gems doesn’t do that today.

– Jim W.