# Utter Newbie, HELP! **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 14, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719 "2009-01-14T19:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/1 "2009-01-14T19:25:25Z")
Dear Ruby on Rails Expert with Compassion for a Newbie, (:-\>) I just got started. I tried: At the Windows Command Prompt: ruby puts “Hello, world!” ^D The response is: -:2: syntax error, unexpected ‘^’, expecting $end I am using Ruby 2.2 (ruby186-26.exe). What can I do, besides pull out my hair? This can be very discouraging for a complete novice. Roger ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/2 "2009-01-14T19:39:28Z")
You probably want to use irb for that type of fiddling… Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] © Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp. C:\Documents and Settings\arc\>irb irb(main):001:0\> puts ‘Hello World’ Hello World =\> nil irb(main):002:0\> ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/3 "2009-01-14T19:47:18Z")
I am by no means any expert and consider myself a newbie also but I am sure that ^D actually means control D Brandon On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:38:54 -0800 (PST), bachcole [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > ^D > > The response is: -:2: syntax error, unexpected ‘^’, expecting $end > > I am using Ruby 2.2 (ruby186-26.exe). What can I do, besides pull > out my hair? This can be very discouraging for a complete novice. > > Roger > > – > – > Brandon Martin ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/4 "2009-01-14T19:49:44Z")
So where is irb? I have been looking for it for some time now. I seems like this Ruby is very much a work in progress. It seems to have a lot of bugs and it seems to be very difficult to work with. Roger > ## C:\Documents and Settings\arc\>irb irb(main):001:0\> puts ‘Hello World’ Hello World =\> nil irb(main):002:0\> > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). > > > * * * Windows Liveâ„¢ Hotmail®: Chat. Store. Share. Do more with mail. [http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT\_TAGLM\_WL\_t1\_hm\_justgotbetter\_explore\_012009](http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_hm_justgotbetter_explore_012009) ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/5 "2009-01-14T19:56:17Z")
I have never used ruby in windows, but it has been around for a while and on Linux and OS X it works flawlessly. On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:48:28 -0700, ROGER BIRD wrote: So where is irb? I have been looking for it for some time now. I seems like this Ruby is very much a work in progress. It seems to have a lot of bugs and it seems to be very difficult to work with. Roger > Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:39:28 +0100 > From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > Subject: [Rails] Re: Utter Newbie, HELP!!! > > You probably want to use irb for that type of fiddling… > > Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] > (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp. > > ## C:Documents and Settingsarc\>irb irb(main):001:0\> puts ‘Hello World’ Hello World =\> nil irb(main):002:0\> > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/6 "2009-01-14T20:18:53Z")
I am the psychopathic programmer: I do not make Silly User Errors. The World is against me. (:-\>) All I have done today is Silly User Errors. If you guys say that Ruby is FrickingFantastic and works just fine in Windows, I am going to believe you and I am going to push on and learn this and make it work for me. I saw that video of that guy doing a blog page, and although I have very little idea what he was doing when he was doing it, I am impressed with the result. Roger > Sorry for the incomplete answer… > > Windows? I think it came in my general install of ruby186-26.exe > > ## And thus far, I have yet to encounter a real Ruby issue, usually it’s just a Silly User Error, meaning mine, or my lack of understanding on the Ruby syntax (it is light years ahead of what I develop with day-to-day). > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). > > > * * * Windows Liveâ„¢: Keep your life in sync. [http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT\_TAGLM\_WL\_t1\_allup\_howitworks\_012009](http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_allup_howitworks_012009) ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/7 "2009-01-14T20:00:14Z")
ROGER BIRD wrote: > So where is irb? Sorry for the incomplete answer… irb (Interactive Ruby) is another package to load on your machine… For linux (Ubuntu 8.04 is my flavor), sudo apt-get install ruby sudo apt-get install ri sudo apt-get install rdoc would be the bare minimum I would do… Windows? I think it came in my general install of ruby186-26.exe And thus far, I have yet to encounter a real Ruby issue, usually it’s just a Silly User Error, meaning mine, or my lack of understanding on the Ruby syntax (it is light years ahead of what I develop with day-to-day). ---
**Author:** ![bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@bachcole](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bachcole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/utter-newbie-help/157719/8 "2009-01-14T20:36:34Z")
Ruby on windows works fine. The package you have there works fine for general web development with Rails. However you’ve got a lot of things oyu have to learn in order to be able to build a blog in 10 minutes. I have a couple of resources you might find useful though: First, I maintain a simple tutorial for beginners which you can get from [Cooking With Ruby On Rails 4 - A Rails Crash Course | New Auburn Personal Computer Services LLC](http://www.napcs.com/resources/rails/cookbook/index.html) which will give you a basic introduction to Rails. You’ll build a small application and then give you some places to go next. Next, I really recommend the “Agile Web D. with Rails” book. You can get a PDF right now and it will get you going on the right path. > **[Pragmatic Bookshelf: By Developers, For Developers](https://pragprog.com)** > > We improve the lives of professional developers. We create timely, practical books on classic and cutting-edge topics to help you learn and practice your craft, and accelerate your career. Come learn with us. After that, get working on stuff. Build things and ask questions when you get stuck. The community is awesome and is willing to help you. -Brian