# Running autotest on Windows XP?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-autotest-on-windows-xp/111825>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 11, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-autotest-on-windows-xp/111825 "2007-08-11T18:37:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michau)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-autotest-on-windows-xp/111825/1 "2007-08-11T18:37:11Z")

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Helo, Is it possible to make autotest (from Zentest gem) run on RoR  
under Windows XP?  
When I’m trying to do it, it throws an error message:  
"couldn’t find HOME environment – expanding ‘~/.autotest’ "

On Cygwing it runs OK. But I don’t want to use Cygwin as it is much  
slower than Windows.

Cheers, michau

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michau)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-autotest-on-windows-xp/111825/2 "2007-08-12T16:31:52Z")

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On Aug 11, 11:36 am, michau [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Helo, Is it possible to make autotest (from Zentest gem) run on RoR  
> under Windows XP?  
> When I’m trying to do it, it throws an error message:  
> "couldn’t find HOME environment – expanding ‘~/.autotest’ "
> 
> On Cygwing it runs OK. But I don’t want to use Cygwin as it is much  
> slower than Windows.

Autotest looks for a .autotest file in the path defined by the HOME  
environment variable. You don’t necessarily have to have a .autotest  
file, but you will need to set the HOME environment variable. I use  
%userprofile%.

See this for details on managing env variables in windows.  
[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519)

hope it helps,

Gordon

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@michau](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michau)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-autotest-on-windows-xp/111825/3 "2007-11-08T19:26:57Z")

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> > Helo, Is it possible to make autotest (from Zentest gem) run on RoR  
> > under Windows XP?  
> > When I’m trying to do it, it throws an error message:  
> > "couldn’t find HOME environment – expanding ‘~/.autotest’ "

> Autotest looks for a .autotest file in the path defined by the HOME  
> environment variable. You don’t necessarily have to have a .autotest  
> file, but you will need to set the HOME environment variable. I use  
> %userprofile%.
> 
> See this for details on managing env variables in windows.  
> [How To Manage Environment Variables in Windows XP - Microsoft Support](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519)

Just wanted to point out for all the future Googlers what it says in  
Gordon’s MS link: make sure if you’re using a console manager such as  
Console 2 that you restart it otherwise the HOME environment value  
update may not be applied.