# Ruby servers and command line and gems... what's that! (I'm a php guy)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-servers-and-command-line-and-gems-whats-that-im-a-php-guy/116149>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 2, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-servers-and-command-line-and-gems-whats-that-im-a-php-guy/116149 "2007-10-02T22:39:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snaggy)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-servers-and-command-line-and-gems-whats-that-im-a-php-guy/116149/1 "2007-10-02T22:39:25Z")

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I’m used to working in php, where I have my .php files and all I have  
to do is put them in a www directory served by apache, or upload them  
to a php host.

Now I’m trying ruby and RoR and first I discover they don’t use  
apache, then that there are 3 servers, webrick mongrel an lighthttpd,  
which I can’t really understand.

Second, it’s full of command lines, what for? I got no cl in php…

and gems too… well I think I get it here, they’re extensions,  
“nicely” installed… (I don’t see the point in installing anyway,  
shouldn’t a require do the trick?)

I love ruby syntax, but prefere php for the reasons I told, probably  
just because I can’t understand them… anyway is it possible to work  
in ruby as I would in php? Using apache and that’s it?

I’ve been trying the camping framework since rails was getting to big  
and powerful for my little app, but I can’t get its stupid server to  
run. I’d like to simply copy a folder in a www directory and query the  
index.rb file…

I’m talking to much, sorry…  
bye!

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**Author:** ![snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snaggy)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-servers-and-command-line-and-gems-whats-that-im-a-php-guy/116149/2 "2007-10-02T23:05:49Z")

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Hey I found something interesting! I just realised a major difference  
between php and ruby: ruby han no opening tags! That means It wouldn’t  
work like php…  
But I found this eRuby project that seems cool, it uses apache and  
seems to work just like php does.

Am I right? This might be the right way to go then! (only problem then  
would be find a host, wouldn’t it…)

bye

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**Author:** ![snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@snaggy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snaggy)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-servers-and-command-line-and-gems-whats-that-im-a-php-guy/116149/3 "2007-10-02T23:56:43Z")

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Snaggy wrote:

> I’ve been trying the camping framework since rails was getting to big  
> and powerful for my little app, but I can’t get its stupid server to  
> run. I’d like to simply copy a folder in a www directory and query the  
> index.rb file…

Hi Snaggy. Welcome to Rails. Sorry your journey has been frustrating  
thus far; I hope it gets better.

If you’re serious about learning Rails, I’d strongly recommend you pick  
up Agile Web D. with Rails 2nd edition. You can get a PDF copy  
for $23.50 via the Pragmatic Programmers:

[http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html](http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html)

That should get you well beyond what you’re probably doing with PHP, and  
if you have any questions along the way, feel free to ask.

- Rabbit