# Telling gems where to install

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 28, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574 "2006-12-28T19:17:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**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:** [December 28, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574/1 "2006-12-28T19:17:15Z")

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hi -

gems is great but it kind of hides the code. id like to download  
certain gems and customize/build on them.

is there a way to tell a gem to install to a particular directory?

and if an app is built on a gem, to then run it using all the gem  
source local in that dir rather than in /usr/local/lib …

thanks!

## –

```
  David "DC" Collier

```

[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
+81 (0)80 6521 9559  
skype: callto://d3ntaku

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**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:** [December 28, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574/2 "2006-12-28T20:35:35Z")

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On Dec 28, 2006, at 10:17, dc wrote:

> gems is great but it kind of hides the code. id like to download  
> certain gems and customize/build on them.
> 
> is there a way to tell a gem to install to a particular directory?
> 
> and if an app is built on a gem, to then run it using all the gem  
> source local in that dir rather than in /usr/local/lib …

The GEM\_HOME environment variable is the catch-all way, but there are  
also arguments to gem install. RubyGems does not know how to search  
multiple directories for gems.

–  
Eric H. - removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid - [http://blog.segment7.net](http://blog.segment7.net)

I LIT YOUR GEM ON FIRE!

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**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:** [December 29, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574/3 "2006-12-29T00:32:03Z")

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Eric H. wrote:

> The GEM\_HOME environment variable is the catch-all way, but there are  
> also arguments to gem install. RubyGems does not know how to search  
> multiple directories for gems.

Can you clarify on this?

Reading [http://rubygems.org/read/chapter/11](http://rubygems.org/read/chapter/11) it seems to support multiple  
gem directories.

Am I wrong?

Stefan

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**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:** [December 29, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/telling-gems-where-to-install/80574/4 "2006-12-29T00:46:05Z")

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On Dec 28, 2006, at 15:31, Stefan M. wrote:

> > The GEM\_HOME environment variable is the catch-all way, but there are  
> > also arguments to gem install. RubyGems does not know how to search  
> > multiple directories for gems.
> 
> Can you clarify on this?
> 
> Reading [http://rubygems.org/read/chapter/11](http://rubygems.org/read/chapter/11) it seems to support  
> multiple  
> gem directories.
> 
> Am I wrong?

You are right, I am wrong.

–  
Eric H. - removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid - [http://blog.segment7.net](http://blog.segment7.net)

I LIT YOUR GEM ON FIRE!