# Newbie: Can't install plugins **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 5, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685 "2010-06-05T09:47:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/1 "2010-06-05T09:47:12Z")
Hi, I am totally new to Rails and am working in Windows (7 days from installing and haven’t programmed for 20 years prior to that!). I’ve been learning from various books, and have been trying to install plugins for the first time. I understand that many of them have now moved to Github, so the code in the books I’m reading often doesn’t work. I think I have Git installed, but am not sure whether I need to do some further configuration or what “in the path means”. If I type “git –version” in one of my project directories, it says “git version 1.7.0.2.msysgit.0”. I tried: “rails script/plugin install git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git” and got the response: “exists”; “create app/controllers”; “file exists - script/plugin”. BUT my plugins directory in vendors remains empty. What am I doing wrong?! Am I looking in the right place for the plugin? What do I need to do to get my first plugin to work? Thanks, Jonathan. ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/2 "2010-06-05T12:57:06Z")
On Jun 5, 8:47 am, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I think I have Git installed, but am not sure whether I need to do some > further configuration or what “in the path means”. If I type “git > –version” in one of my project directories, it says “git version > 1.7.0.2.msysgit.0”. that looks fine > I tried: “rails script/plugin install > git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git” and got the response: “exists”; > “create app/controllers”; “file exists - script/plugin”. That should be ruby script/plugin … (what you wrote is would try to create a new rails app at the location indicated by the arguments you passed) Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/3 "2010-06-05T14:22:19Z")
Thanks Fred; I can see your suggestion should be right from the example shown when I type “ruby script/plugin”. However, when I try: “ruby script/plugin install git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git”, I then get a message back that says: “Plugin not found: [git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git]” I have tried substituting “http” for “git” as suggested in some forums. So… any ideas why the seemingly correct syntax doesn’t seem to be working? Thanks, Jonathan. Frederick C. wrote: > On Jun 5, 8:47�am, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > I think I have Git installed, but am not sure whether I need to do some > > further configuration or what “in the path means”. �If I type “git > > –version” in one of my project directories, it says “git version > > 1.7.0.2.msysgit.0”. > > that looks fine > > > I tried: “rails script/plugin install > > git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git” and got the response: “exists”; > > “create app/controllers”; “file exists - script/plugin”. > > That should be ruby script/plugin … (what you wrote is would try to > create a new rails app at the location indicated by the arguments you > passed) > > Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/4 "2010-06-05T17:42:05Z")
Yes - I can clone the repositary myself with the command below. If I open the Interactive Ruby shell (by typing “irb” in the cmd window)and then at the “irb (main):001: 0\>” prompt type “git --version”, it says “nameerror: undefined local variable or method…”. Is this what you meant me to do or was it something else? Big thanks (I am finding this hugely helpful), Jonathan. Frederick C. wrote: > On Jun 5, 1:22�pm, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > working? > > First off double check that you can clone that repository yourself (ie > git clone git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git ) > If that works, then i’d also try running git in the way that rails > with: in a irb session run system(“git --version”) > > Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/5 "2010-06-05T15:08:48Z")
On Jun 5, 1:22 pm, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > working? First off double check that you can clone that repository yourself (ie git clone git://github.com/ambethia/recaptcha.git ) If that works, then i’d also try running git in the way that rails with: in a irb session run system(“git --version”) Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/6 "2010-06-05T18:38:54Z")
On Jun 5, 4:42 pm, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Yes - I can clone the repositary myself with the command below. > > If I open the Interactive Ruby shell (by typing “irb” in the cmd > window)and then at the “irb (main):001: 0\>” prompt type “git --version”, > it says “nameerror: undefined local variable or method…”. > > Is this what you meant me to do or was it something else? no - I meant type system(“git --version”) Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/7 "2010-06-05T22:35:22Z")
On Jun 5, 8:47 pm, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Fred - thanks for your patience with me! > > The response is "git version 1.7.0.2… ". So, I guess that looks ok? > > Where do I go from here? (Aside from abondoning Windows!) I’d probably examine the rails source code and try to find out exactly where it is failing. Alternatively you should know that all installing a plugin does is copy it to vendor/plugins and run its setup.rb if it has one. > BTW… have just googled you. Are you the Frederick C. of texperts/ > Cambridge UK? That’s me Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/8 "2010-06-05T21:47:18Z")
Fred - thanks for your patience with me! The response is "git version 1.7.0.2… ". So, I guess that looks ok? Where do I go from here? (Aside from abondoning Windows!) BTW… have just googled you. Are you the Frederick C. of texperts/ Cambridge UK? Thanks, Jonathan. Frederick C. wrote: > On Jun 5, 4:42�pm, Jonathan T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Yes - I can clone the repositary myself with the command below. > > > > If I open the Interactive Ruby shell (by typing “irb” in the cmd > > window)and then at the “irb (main):001: 0\>” prompt type “git --version”, > > it says “nameerror: undefined local variable or method…”. > > > > Is this what you meant me to do or was it something else? > > no - I meant type > > system(“git --version”) > > Fred ---
**Author:** ![terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@terhorst](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/terhorst)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-cant-install-plugins/189685/9 "2010-06-05T22:55:16Z")
There’s is dirty workaround for this problem - [http://groups.google.ca/group/rubyonrails-talk/browse\_thread/thread/20cb12085cb7991e](http://groups.google.ca/group/rubyonrails-talk/browse_thread/thread/20cb12085cb7991e) - last post by Ahmed Mohamed. Just tried that and it worked.