# Uninstalling ruby

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/uninstalling-ruby/68342>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [September 11, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/uninstalling-ruby/68342 "2006-09-11T22:47:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chilaquil](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/fbc32d/32.png) [@chilaquil](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chilaquil)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/uninstalling-ruby/68342/1 "2006-09-11T22:47:09Z")

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Hi,

I wonder if there is a way to uninstall ruby.  
The network administrator who is installing ruby on our server put 5  
different copies/versions on the server and now have trouble updating  
the gems.  
I read that there is no uninstaller for ruby. Is that true?  
We just want to remove everything and restart again. Any help is  
greately appreciated.

Many Thanks,  
-Andy

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chilaquil](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/fbc32d/32.png) [@chilaquil](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chilaquil)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/uninstalling-ruby/68342/2 "2006-09-11T23:05:12Z")

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On 9/11/06, Andy B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I wonder if there is a way to uninstall ruby.

Depends upon the procedure followed when it was installed.

If you didn’t change --prefix, then my guess is that uninstalling is  
going to be tedious. Maybe folks here can offer some tips on what to  
look for and delete from your /usr/local.

> The network administrator who is installing ruby on our server put 5  
> different copies/versions on the server and now have trouble updating  
> the gems.  
> I read that there is no uninstaller for ruby. Is that true?

It’s true that there’s no “make uninstall” target.

> We just want to remove everything and restart again. Any help is  
> greately appreciated.
> 
> Many Thanks,  
> -Andy

Assuming you’re on GNU/Linux:

1. With great care, remove what got installed in /usr/local by the  
previous installs.
2. Next time, install in, say, /opt by following the instructions at  
[http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/InstallingRuby](http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/InstallingRuby) under “Custom  
Install on GNU/Linux”. That way, uninstalling is as easy as “rm -fr  
/opt/ruby-1.x.y”.

—John