# Re: HowTo install plugins from github? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 11, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018 "2009-02-11T00:01:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/1 "2009-02-11T00:01:17Z")
Jason R. wrote: > Hi I am a noob on RoR and I will agree that this git dependency came in from the left field for me too!šŸ˜• All the documentation I saw about plugins blithely says use the following command to install plugin - rubby script/plugin install acts\_as\_tree and it worksā€¦ But when I went to try to install acts\_as\_authenticated and used - ruby script/plugin install git://github.com/gundestrup/acts\_as\_authenticated.git ruby script/generate authenticated user account I got the error authenticated not found! working back I found that nothing had been installed in the plug-ins directory. AND there was no error message during the install either. After a lot of hunting on forums, I found this post which says that I need to install this git client! That is not consistent. šŸ¤”A gem (git-gem?)dependency I could understand. but a whole new client to keep track off? Rails doesnt need you to install svn or Perforce or anything right? You should need these only if you are going to make changes to the plug-inā€¦ So thanks for posting this as now I am off to install git but want to share my thoughts. Quoted from: [http://www.nabble.com/HowTo-install-plugins-from-github--tp21591148p21841502.html](http://www.nabble.com/HowTo-install-plugins-from-github--tp21591148p21841502.html) ā€“ View this message in context: [http://www.nabble.com/HowTo-install-plugins-from-github--tp21591148p21939705.html](http://www.nabble.com/HowTo-install-plugins-from-github--tp21591148p21939705.html) Sent from the RubyOnRails Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com). ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/2 "2009-02-11T00:10:38Z")
On Feb 10, 10:21 pm, Master Chief 2007 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Jason R. wrote: > > After a lot of hunting on forums, I found this post which says that I need > to install this git client! That is not consistent. > > šŸ¤”A gem (git-gem?)dependency I could understand. but a whole new > client to keep track off? Rails doesnt need you to install svn or Perforce > or anything right? You should need these only if you are going to make > changes to the plug-inā€¦ You donā€™t need svn to use rails but then you wouldnā€™t be able to install plugins hosted via svn. To say rails requires you to install git is back to front: people started using git to host the plugins they developed and so some nice person extended script/plugin to be able to install plugins hosted in such a manner. If itā€™s anyoneā€™s ā€œfaultā€ itā€™s the plugin authors for using git to host their plugins šŸ™‚ Fred ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/3 "2009-02-11T04:03:32Z")
it should also be noted that most of those plugins that the authors chose to host with git will have an http counterpartā€¦ I think there is some way to get regular downloads from github On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Frederick C. \< ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/4 "2009-02-11T07:43:27Z")
The http counterpart is what I was searching for but could not find. I will try to document my travails as a noob to RoR on WinXP and put it on the wiki. Since I installed the git client and installed my keys, I have been able to get the plugins I needed. Next up - I will go for will-paginate and see how my ā€œnew foundā€ wisdom helps me šŸ™‚ Thanks all, as I have been able to move at such a fast pace with all these plugins as compared to any other stack I know of and I have worked on both the Java and the .net stacksā€¦ * * * From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] On Behalf Of David Herman Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 7:03 PM To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: [Rails] Re: HowTo install plugins from github? it should also be noted that most of those plugins that the authors chose to host with git will have an http counterpartā€¦ I think there is some way to get regular downloads from github On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: On Feb 10, 10:21 pm, Master Chief 2007 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Jason R. wrote: > > After a lot of hunting on forums, I found this post which says that I need > to install this git client! That is not consistent. > > šŸ¤”A gem (git-gem?)dependency I could understand. but a whole new > client to keep track off? Rails doesnt need you to install svn or > Perforce > or anything right? You should need these only if you are going to make > changes to the plug-inā€¦ You donā€™t need svn to use rails but then you wouldnā€™t be able to install plugins hosted via svn. To say rails requires you to install git is back to front: people started using git to host the plugins they developed and so some nice person extended script/plugin to be able to install plugins hosted in such a manner. If itā€™s anyoneā€™s ā€œfaultā€ itā€™s the plugin authors for using git to host their plugins šŸ™‚ Fred ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/5 "2009-02-11T10:03:45Z")
On Feb 11, 6:42 am, ā€œSandeep Sagarā€ [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The http counterpart is what I was searching for but could not find. github allows you to download zip/tar files of projects. I donā€™t think script/plugin understands that though (but for 99.9% of plugins just downloading it and unzipping it into vendor/plugins will do the trick. Fred ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/6 "2009-03-17T23:03:51Z")
Is there a difference between ruby script/plugin install git://ā€¦ and git clone git://ā€¦ Does the former do more than copy files into the vendors/plugins directory? Is the latter safe? Thanks, MarkD ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Master\_Chief\_2007](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Master_Chief_2007)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 10:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-howto-install-plugins-from-github/160018/7 "2009-03-18T10:00:22Z")
git-clone will simply make a copy of the Git repo (which may or may require some tweaking to get it ready for use) wherever you happen to be in the filesystem whereas script/plugin will place the files in the appropriate folder and make sure everything is ready to use.