# Viewing documentation for installed modules

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/viewing-documentation-for-installed-modules/146361>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 20, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/viewing-documentation-for-installed-modules/146361 "2008-08-20T10:31:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Benjamin_Walkenhors)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/viewing-documentation-for-installed-modules/146361/1 "2008-08-20T10:31:04Z")

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Hello everyone,

This is probably a stupid question, but it has been a while since I last  
used Ruby, and I need to refresh my memory.  
I have consulted the search engine of my choice, but without useful  
results. (Although I will admit that my search engine-skills need some  
refreshing, too…)

In Python, the pydoc command can be used to run a local web server  
through which not only documentation for the standard library but also  
for other installed modules can be viewed. Depending on the environment  
it is called from, pydoc can then even display documentation for python  
modules I wrote myself.

I think I remember using something similar for ruby, at least for all  
modules installed through gems and via the system’s package management  
(although that was on Gentoo, which I think installs nearly all  
Ruby-modules through gem if possible, now I am using Ubuntu), but I  
cannot remember what command to invoke. I kind of remember seeing a web  
interface that showed me what packages I had installed and that allowed  
me to view their documentation, which looked as if it had been created  
with rdoc.

Is my memory just playing tricks on me?  
If not, could someone kindly point in the right direction?

Thanks in advance,  
Benjamin Walkenhorst

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**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Benjamin_Walkenhors)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 10:35am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/viewing-documentation-for-installed-modules/146361/2 "2008-08-20T10:35:46Z")

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Benjamin Walkenhorst wrote:

[stupid question]

Hello everyone,

Never mind - gem\_server was what I was looking for.

Sorry to bother you,  
Kind regards,  
Benjamin Walkenhorst

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**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@Benjamin\_Walkenhors](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Benjamin_Walkenhors)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/viewing-documentation-for-installed-modules/146361/3 "2008-08-20T17:54:59Z")

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Thanks Benjamin for answering your own question because that was my  
question as well.

I have a somewhat related question which I didn’t find answer in google.

I’d like to use ri for my gems I installed instead of view docs in  
browser. How do I do that?

Thanks,

Zhao