# Ruby 1.8.4 with readline support on OSX **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [January 12, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226 "2006-01-12T03:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/1 "2006-01-12T03:13:24Z")
I tried installing readline (following a how-to for 1.8.4 on OSX) and I get the following: install: you may need to run ldconfig I do not find ldconfig anywhere. Has anyone else gotten this message? Robert ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/2 "2006-01-12T03:19:31Z")
Robert H. wrote: > I tried installing readline (following a how-to for 1.8.4 on OSX) and I > get the following: > > install: you may need to run ldconfig > > I do not find ldconfig anywhere. Has anyone else gotten this message? > > Robert Odds are if you don’t have it on the system, you don’t need to run it. Try and see. I might be horribly mistaken, but I _think_ running ldconfig serves for the system to know there’s a new dynamic library around the place, and it’s necessary on some Unixen. Might want to check how OSX handles dynamic libraries… David V. ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/3 "2006-01-12T20:14:45Z")
Well, I may not need to run it but readline isn’t installing either. ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/4 "2006-01-13T01:54:29Z")
On 1/11/06, Robert H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I tried installing readline (following a how-to for 1.8.4 on OSX) and I > get the following: > > install: you may need to run ldconfig > > I do not find ldconfig anywhere. Has anyone else gotten this message? > > Robert I’d suggest that you go to [http://darwinports.org/](http://darwinports.org/) and install darwinports, and then use darwinports to install ruby. that port will automatically install the correct version of readline for you, and compile everything correctly. Btw, do you have the DeveloperTools installed on your Mac? Do you have a /Developer directory, for instance? If you have not, then you would need to install the developers tools first. (you would also need to install those if you were to use darwinports). ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/5 "2006-01-13T02:48:41Z")
On Jan 12, 2006, at 7:38 PM, Robert H. wrote: > I have the devtools…yes. Does this series of steps work for you? curl ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/readline/readline-5.0.tar.gz | tar xfz - cd readline-5.0 ./configure cd shlib sed -e ‘s/-dynamic/-dynamiclib/’ Makefile \> Makefile.good mv Makefile.good Makefile cd … make && sudo make install sudo rm /usr/lib/libreadline\* sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libreadline\* /usr/lib/ I got those from here, just FYI: [http://tech.rufy.com/articles/2005/05/01/complete-fix-for-ruby-on-mac-](http://tech.rufy.com/articles/2005/05/01/complete-fix-for-ruby-on-mac-) os-x-10-4-tiger James Edward G. II ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/6 "2006-01-13T03:06:49Z")
Someone suggested installing libreadline in /usr/lib and linking it back to /usr/local. This is a “Bad Idea” ™. since you would be messing with the core operating system and its libraries. You’re much better doing it either: 1. Using Darwin Ports (I personally prefer it over Fink) at [www.darwinports.org](http://www.darwinports.org) 2. Roll your own from source code ([ftp.gnu.org](http://ftp.gnu.org)). You can even use FTPFS which is built into the Finder to make browsing easy. By default the GNU code installs in /usr/local, and the Darwin Ports installs in /opt/local. Both stay away from your core OS which is good. If you start messing with the core OS, you must be careful you absolutely know what you are doing and how to back it out in case of trouble. The more changes you make, the more difficult this is. Best to just leave it alone. If you make changes there, you could easily end up affecting upgrades, patches and produce other unknown or unwanted side-effects. Cheers, Mike – Mobile: +81-80-3202-2599 God is love. =\> Love is blind. Ray Charles is blind. =\> Ray Charles is God. ---
**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-8-4-with-readline-support-on-osx/52226/7 "2006-01-13T02:39:38Z")
I have the devtools…yes. Robert