# Installing as non-root

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-as-non-root/82565>\
**Category:** Ruby-Gnome 2\
**Created:** [January 19, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-as-non-root/82565 "2007-01-19T16:31:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Emmanuel\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Emmanuel\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Emmanuel_T)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-as-non-root/82565/1 "2007-01-19T16:31:19Z")

</div>

Hello,

```
I'm using ubuntu, but ubuntu like debian only has ruby-gnome2 0.15

```

in its repositories. I need to run 0.16; I could install from source,  
but I would like to avoid writing on my / partition myself (not to  
confuse apt). Is it possible to install ruby-gnome2 as a normal user, in  
my home directory somewhere, without touching “/”?

```
I did not see steps to do that in the installation documentation of

```

the distribution? It is possible to install gems as a user, you don’t  
need for that to override system-wide files, but I’m not sure for  
ruby-gnome2?

```
Thank you!

```

emmanuel

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---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Emmanuel\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Emmanuel\_T](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Emmanuel_T)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-as-non-root/82565/2 "2007-09-25T22:31:58Z")

</div>

Hi,

In [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
“[ruby-gnome2-devel-en] Installing as non-root” on Fri, 19 Jan 2007  
12:14:33 +0100,  
Emmanuel T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> ```
> I'm using ubuntu, but ubuntu like debian only has ruby-gnome2 0.15 
> 
> ```
> 
> in its repositories. I need to run 0.16; I could install from source,  
> but I would like to avoid writing on my / partition myself (not to  
> confuse apt). Is it possible to install ruby-gnome2 as a normal user, in  
> my home directory somewhere, without touching “/”?
> 
> ```
> I did not see steps to do that in the installation documentation of 
> 
> ```
> 
> the distribution? It is possible to install gems as a user, you don’t  
> need for that to override system-wide files, but I’m not sure for  
> ruby-gnome2?

Try DESTDIR environment variable:

% DESTDIR=$HOME/local make install

## Thanks,

kou

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