# Serial Port Control with Ruby win32serial-0.5 **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [January 21, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800 "2007-01-21T05:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/1 "2007-01-21T05:11:09Z")
## I have downloaded win32serial-0.5 and am trying to install in a Windows XP machine. The readme file list the following steps: [How to install] 1. unzip win32serial-x.x.zip 2. ruby extconf.rb 3. make (or nmake) 4. make install * * * > From a WindowsCommand prompt: > Steps 1. and 2. are no problem. > Step 3 gives me an error: > ‘make’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, > operable program or batch file. Please help. I could do what I need to do in Visual Basic, but am trying to convert to Ruby and REALLY want to go with Ruby. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/2 "2007-01-21T05:39:10Z")
On 1/21/07, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Steps 1. and 2. are no problem. > Step 3 gives me an error: > ‘make’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, > operable program or batch file. > > Please help. I could do what I need to do in Visual Basic, but am > trying to convert to Ruby and REALLY want to go with Ruby. I installed Win32serial a few months ago and if I remember correctly, nmake worked. Give it a shot. Harry ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/3 "2007-01-21T17:25:19Z")
I tried that with no luck. Wondering, should I be extracting to a certain directory? I’m just extracting the files to my c:ruby directory. The extraction tool actually puts them in c:\ruby\win32serial. I run the extconf.rb file and get “creating makefile” so that appears to work. But after that I’m in trouble doing a make or nmake. Should there be more the the command ‘make’ like ruby or a directory designation? ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/4 "2007-01-21T22:41:11Z")
You don’t have nmake. Get nmake on > **[Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-US)** > > Microsoft support is here to help you with Microsoft products. Find how-to articles, videos, and training for Microsoft 365, Windows, Surface, and more. And follow the steps again. There is another library for serial port: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/ruby-serialport/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/ruby-serialport/) That’s work fine with me. []'s ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/5 "2007-01-22T00:45:29Z")
Thanks for the help. I got nmake installed in the c:\ruby\bin directory. I then went to the directory where the application was downloaded to: c:\ruby\win32serial and ran nmake. It appeared to work. I then did the following which I’ll paste below. Notice at the end I get an error and the code appears to stop. C:\ruby\win32serial\>nmake makefile Microsoft ® Program Maintenance Utility Version 1.50 Copyright © Microsoft Corp 1988-94. All rights reserved. ‘makefile’ is up-to-date C:\ruby\win32serial\>makefile ‘makefile’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. C:\ruby\win32serial\>nmake install Microsoft ® Program Maintenance Utility Version 1.50 Copyright © Microsoft Corp 1988-94. All rights reserved. ``` cl -nologo -I. -Ic:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/i386-mswin32 ``` -Ic:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/i386-mswin32 -I. - MD -Zi -O2b2xg- -G6 -c -Tcrb\_serial\_wrapper.c ‘cl’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. NMAKE : fatal error U1077: ‘C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe’ : return code ‘0x1’ Stop. * * * I"m using ruby 1.8.5. Is there should I be trying to install to a particular directory/path?? ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/serial-port-control-with-ruby-win32serial-0-5/82800/6 "2007-01-22T00:50:29Z")
Would you be able to give me a brief description install procedure for [http://rubyforge.org/projects/ruby-serialport/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/ruby-serialport/) 1. What path to install to 2. I see after extracting that the file is an Apache Loadable Module…what is that? How do I handle this install? John Bartels