# Reload environment.rb without restarting server

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reload-environment-rb-without-restarting-server/68253>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [September 11, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reload-environment-rb-without-restarting-server/68253 "2006-09-11T06:51:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ben)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reload-environment-rb-without-restarting-server/68253/1 "2006-09-11T06:51:57Z")

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Hey all,

I’m running Rails with a shared hosting provider, and can’t restart the  
web server - so how do I get Rails to recognize the new paths I’ve added  
to /config/environment.rb?

Thanks,  
Ben

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ben)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reload-environment-rb-without-restarting-server/68253/2 "2006-09-22T13:45:04Z")

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Ben wrote:

> Hey all,
> 
> I’m running Rails with a shared hosting provider, and can’t restart the  
> web server - so how do I get Rails to recognize the new paths I’ve added  
> to /config/environment.rb?
> 
> Thanks,  
> Ben

I’d like to know this too.

Simon

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@ben](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ben)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reload-environment-rb-without-restarting-server/68253/3 "2006-09-22T15:41:18Z")

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I am pretty sure you cannot do that… however you don’t have to  
“restart  
the server”, you need to restart the dispatchers.

Most shared hosts give you shell access. All you need to do is run the  
command

killall -USR2 dispatch.fcgi

or if that doesn’t work…

killall -9 dispatch.fcgi

If you’re not allowed to do these things then you need to contact your  
host  
and either get them to let you do what you need or cancel your account.  
Plenty of hosts will allow you to manage your own processes. (Rails  
Playground, Dreamhost, Bluehost, etc)