# Solaris install **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/solaris-install/60976 "2006-05-18T23:59:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/f04885/32.png) [@xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/xmg-eric)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/solaris-install/60976/1 "2006-05-18T23:59:10Z")
Folks, I have a real opportunity to make a difference here. But I need some help, and the lack of documentation on this subject is a major hindrance. To do an install, I have to do a build (unlike my PC). For that, I need a bit more assistance. Dan B. was very helpful when he laid out this process: > > make distclean > > ./configure --prefix=/wherever/you/want > > make > > make install That’s a good process that will probably work decently. But then Ara Howard added this cryptic note: > don’t forget to do both of these before compiling > > LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH=/wherever/you/want/lib > LD\_RUN\_PATH=/wherever/you/want/lib # most important! > > if you do this all the stuff you compile it will > inter-operate nicely–e.g. ruby extensions–and other > users will be able to use it without having their > LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH set. They’ll only require PATH. I sure this makes sense, but I’m missing the mental model–the picture of what’s happening–that would explain /why/ it makes sense. These variables aren’t mentioned in the Makefile, so they must be important to gcc. But why, if I’m /creating/ the lib as part of the process?? Finally, it looks as though install-all is what I want, because install looks seems to a documentn-free install. I’m not conversant enough with the Ruby build to be sure I’m reading the Makefile right, but what I see is this: > install: install-nodoc $(RDOCTARGET) > install-all: install-nodoc install-doc Where RDOCTARGET is defined as nil, by default. If it’s supposed to be specified, it’s not mentioned in the Makefile. So I’m guessing that the target I really want is install-all. But I’d like to confirm that. So the process that /looks/ right to me, at the moment, is: ``` make distclean setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /wherever/you/want/lib setenv LD_RUN_PATH /wherever/you/want/lib ./configure --prefix=/wherever/you/want make make install-all ``` I’ll try it, but I feel like a blind man groping in the dark. I was hoping for confirmation and/or a bit more enlightenment before going forward… ---
**Author:** ![xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/f04885/32.png) [@xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/xmg-eric)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/solaris-install/60976/2 "2006-05-19T00:11:25Z")
On Fri, 19 May 2006, Eric A. wrote: > > inter-operate nicely–e.g. ruby extensions–and other > > users will be able to use it without having their > > LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH set. They’ll only require PATH. > > I sure this makes sense, but I’m missing the mental > model–the picture of what’s happening–that would > explain /why/ it makes sense. These variables aren’t > mentioned in the Makefile, so they must be important > to gcc. But why, if I’m /creating/ the lib as part > of the process?? it has nothing to do with ruby, the Makefile, or gcc - it’s all about your linker: man ld.so man ld [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_frm/thread/615935bf1489d843/dae3f2dd2fae3e1e?q=LD\_RUN\_PATH&rnum=6#dae3f2dd2fae3e1e](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_frm/thread/615935bf1489d843/dae3f2dd2fae3e1e?q=LD_RUN_PATH&rnum=6#dae3f2dd2fae3e1e) [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_frm/thread/b0ecc81f80082df8/f651b1d2000dd5e1?q=LD\_RUN\_PATH&rnum=7#f651b1d2000dd5e1](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_frm/thread/b0ecc81f80082df8/f651b1d2000dd5e1?q=LD_RUN_PATH&rnum=7#f651b1d2000dd5e1) [http://www.visi.com/~barr/ldpath.html](http://www.visi.com/~barr/ldpath.html) let me know if this doesn’t shed some light. regards. -a ---
**Author:** ![xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/f04885/32.png) [@xmg-eric](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/xmg-eric)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/solaris-install/60976/3 "2006-05-19T04:30:57Z")
Ah ha!! Thanks much for the additional info, Ara. Your 5 May 2004 writeup was particularly good: > You have two good choices > > a) install ruby where your system looks for stuff > > b) configure your system to look where ruby puts stuff > > Having LD\_RUN\_PATH set at compile time encodes it > in the binaries. It sets up all the bins and libs so > they know where to look for things. You also give a good diagnostic tool: > In general, if you are having load errors do this > > ruby -e ‘p $LOAD\_PATH’ > > this tells you where ruby looks for things. In your 32 Mar 2006 msg, you gave a really nice recipe: > If you follow these steps just about anything will work: > > - chose a common nfs location. we’ll call it /nfs > > - every single time you compile something do this > > I set LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH and LD\_RUN\_PATH in my .bashrc > because i do this so much. the cool thing with > LD\_RUN\_PATH is that it encodes inter-library dependencies > (so ruby tk.so needs libtk.so needs …) , so users don’t > have to set LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH themselves…They just have to > add /nfs/bin to their path. So it appears that: LD\_RUN\_PATH tells the binaries where to look for things when they’re running LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH tells the linker where to look for things when it is creating the binaries The installation sequence for a non-standard location Solaris location therefore turns out to be: # Clear out a previous build & create config.h make distclean ./configure --prefix=/wherever/you/want # Set the values you need when compiling sh: export LD\_RUN\_PATH=/wherever/you/want/lib/ export LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH=/wherever/you/want/lib/ csh: setenv LD\_RUN\_PATH /wherever/you/want/lib/ setenv LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH /wherever/you/want/lib/ # Compile without installing, then install binaries & docs make make install-all Thanks again. Considering that your original post on this subject was in 2004, I can see why your responses have become shorter! I greatly appreciate your help, and am glad to say that I now have functional installation of Ruby. P.S. I’ll be happy to put this information on a Wiki page somewhere. I went to RubyGarden, but only saw a small comment box. I could stuff it in there, post at my weblog, or put it anywhere else that will let the community find it easily. Suggestions?