XCode takes a while to download so we might as well start with this. You can continue on to the next steps while it downloads… until you run into a step that requires XCode

Download and Install MySQL

I’ve built mysql several times and haven’t find an advantage over installing it from the official DMG source. Installing it from the DMG is much easier and has a higher degree of success.

Just Google for “MySQL mac download”. It should take you to the MySQL download page. Download the 64-bit DMG and do the standard thing. Open it up and run the mysql install. Also add the System Preferences to make starting and stopping the MySQL service easier.

Update your Gems Environment

gem -v
gem environment
sudo gem update --system
sudo gem update
gem list --local


You might want to install hanna also. It’s an alternate rdoc template. I have it my system configured to automatically use hanna when generating rdoc.

sudo gem install hanna

Install Homebrew for your Unix Package Needs.

Homebrew is a nice simple package manager for OS X. Some alternatives are ports and fink. I’ve used them both before and prefer ports over fink.

ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://gist.github.com/raw/323731/install_homebrew.rb)"
brew


Once you install homebrew, you can easily install other packages. Ack “is a tool like grep, designed for programmers with large trees of heterogeneous source code.” Bash Completion helps make the bash command line easier to use. It’ll allow you to tab fill your ssh locations for example.

brew install git
brew install ack
brew install bash-completion


Install rvm

Here’s where we start adding some real meat to your system. rvm is not strictly necessary but highly recommanded.


# Install rvm
bash < <( curl http://rvm.beginrescueend.com/releases/rvm-install-head )
# set up rvm in .profile... or use rubyconsumer's dotfiles setup. (see below)
# To seamlessly abandon the Apple-installed system ruby (ruby 1.8.7 patchlevel 174 for Snow Leopard):
rvm install 1.8.7 # installs patch 302: closest supported version
rvm system ; rvm gemset export system.gems ; rvm 1.8.7 ; rvm gemset import system # migrate your gems
rvm --default 1.8.7


Set up Dotfiles

I have my dotfiles saved on github. I suggest either 1) look through and picking up what you need, 2) fork it, use it as is and start making your own additions. I've tried to keep it commented.

I place my configs into dropbox and symlink to them.


cd ~/Dropbox/wtsang


Clone or fork and clone dotfiles


git clone git@github.com:rubyconsumer/dotfiles.git


Set up dotfiles.


cd dotfiles
setup


My dotfiles project has a setup script which will non-destructively symlink to dotfiles. You'll need to modify it to work for you, until I make the appropriate changes since it's hardcoded to my Dropbox location.

Install Editor

Textmate is an obvious choice. If you are going to use vi, check out mac vim and carlhuda's Janus.


for i in ~/.vim ~/.vimrc ~/.gvimrc; do [ -e $i ] && mv $i $i.old; done
git clone git://github.com/carlhuda/janus.git ~/.vim
cd ~/.vim
rake


Locate your mysql_config file and then pass it in the mysql config when you install the mysql gem.

sudo gem install mysql -- --with-mysql-config=/usr/local/mysql-5.1.32-osx10.5-x86/bin/mysql_config

That should address the following error:
sudo gem install mysql
Building native extensions. This could take a while...
ERROR: Error installing mysql:
ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

Provided configuration options:
--with-opt-dir
--without-opt-dir
--with-opt-include
--without-opt-include=${opt-dir}/include
--with-opt-lib
--without-opt-lib=${opt-dir}/lib
--with-make-prog
--without-make-prog
--srcdir=.
--curdir
--ruby=/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby
--with-mysql-config
--without-mysql-config
--with-mysql-dir
--without-mysql-dir
--with-mysql-include
--without-mysql-include=${mysql-dir}/include
--with-mysql-lib
--without-mysql-lib=${mysql-dir}/lib
--with-mysqlclientlib
--without-mysqlclientlib
--with-mlib
--without-mlib
--with-mysqlclientlib
--without-mysqlclientlib
--with-zlib
--without-zlib
--with-mysqlclientlib
--without-mysqlclientlib
--with-socketlib
--without-socketlib
--with-mysqlclientlib
--without-mysqlclientlib
--with-nsllib
--without-nsllib
--with-mysqlclientlib
--without-mysqlclientlib

Check out http://webdeveloper.econsultant.com/ruby-rails-tutorials/

Helpful Ruby on Rails tutorials.

1. AJAX powered chat in 3 hours on Ruby on Rails : Tutorial on creating simple Web chatroom
2. Ajax on Rails : at ONLamp
3. Beginner’s Guide to Rails, part 1 : series of tutorials at GodBit
4. Building Ruby, Rails, LightTPD, and MySQL on Tiger : at Hivelogic
5. Create a To Do List with Ruby on Rails – Beginner’s Tutorial : at thehua
6. Distributing Rails Applications – A Tutorial : by Erik Veenstra
7. Fast-track your Web apps with Ruby on Rails : at IBM
8. Four Days on Rails : Tutorial in PDF at HomeLinux
9. Getting Your Feet Wet With Ruby on Rails : at Webmonkey
10. Installing Ruby on Rails with Lighttpd and MySQL on Fedora Core 4 : at DigitalMediaMinute
11. Instant Rails : preconfigured Rails software
12. Introduction to Ruby : for Perl programmers at SixBit
13. Introduction to Ruby for Mac OS X : at IO
14. Learning Ruby : by Daniel Carrera
15. Many to Many Tutorial for Rails (PDF) : at JRHicks
16. ObjectiveView Ruby on Rails Introduction (PDF) : at Ratio
17. Really Getting Started in Rails : at Slash7
18. Rolling with Ruby on Rails (Part1) : at ONLamp
19. Rolling with Ruby on Rails, Part 2 : at ONLamp
20. Ruby on Rails : at RegDeveloper.co.uk
21. Ruby on Rails on Oracle: A Simple Tutorial : at Oracle
22. Ruby on Rails Screencasts : at RubyOnRails
23. Try Ruby : Try Ruby in the browser at Hobix
24. Tutorial : a basic tutorial at RubyOnRails
25. Really Getting Started in Rails : Despite being written back all the way back in January 2005, Amy Hoy’s short and sweet intro still manages to be relevant
26. Rails for Designers : by Kevin Clark
27. Ruby QuickRef : quick reference guide.
28. Ruby Tutorials : at Tutorialized.com
29. Using Ruby on Rails for Dev on Mac OSX : at Apple
30. How to Build a Ruby on Rails Engine: In-depth Start-to-Finish Tutorial : at AlterLabs

Related Posts:

1. Ruby on Rails Basics (9 links) : Software / services to help in PHP.
2. Ruby on Rails Blogs (10 links) : Blogs featuring articles, codes and discussions on Ruby.
3. Ruby on Rails Demos Exampls Code Samples (29 links) : s
4. Ruby on Rails Hosts (238 links) : Web hosts supporting Ruby.
5. Ruby on Rails Official Sites (3 links) : Official sites for Ruby developers.
6. Ruby on Rails Projects Sites (346 links) : Projects and sites developed using Ruby.
7. Ruby on Rails Tutorials (29 links) : Helpful Ruby on Rails tutorials.

You can save highlighted source to a HTML file.
:runtime! syntax/2html.vim

So you can go from something like this:

Ruby Code in Vim

To a html file like this:

Ruby Code in HTML

The hardest part, for me, was getting the audio transmitter. That’s where avrcp (AV remote control) bit me, because i didn’t know it was a separate profile from a2dp (stereo bluetooth) and then in addition, you’ve got class 1 and class 2 bluetooth devices. class 2 are the “default”, but the range is fairly short and microwave ovens disturb it at work

i switched to a class 1 device, and now i can go upstairs and still have music. Then on top of class 1 and avrcp, you also have to know what media players it supports for the avrcp

(the bluetooth stack, rather; not specifically the transmitter) but the transmitter i got used the toshiba bluetooth stack, which has avrcp but only for a handful of players (not itunes) so if one were to buy a bluetooth audio transmitter, i would say: a2dp, avrcp, class 1, and comes with the bluesoleil bluetooth stack…for windows. i just realized macs probably have builtin a2dp/avrcp and would certainly be compat with itunes.

the specific headset i have is the Sony DR-BT22 and i don’t have any major complaints. music sounds good, it’s reasonably comfortable, and it’s got good battery life. It does have a flimsy feel to it because it’s foldable, but it doesn’t bother me.

the transmitter i have (for the pc) is a Zoom class 2 bluetooth 2. it works as advertised, but i don’t necessary recommend it. it came w/ the toshiba bluetooth stack, which doesn’t work with itunes. so i like the stats of the zoom, but i’d recommend a transmitter that comes w/ the blue soleil stack instead (since it works with itunes).

Example:
rubyconsumer> I like kake!
rubyconsumer> s/kake/cake/

Well it looks like the Skype client for the mac has taken this one step further.  And for once, the mac client is actually ahead of the windows client.

An up to date Skype client will now take that regex and run it against your last message.  The resulting message from the previous example would look like:

Example:
Editted: 10/9/08 7:30AM – rubyconsumer
rubyconsumer> I like cake!

Now that’s Geek Accessibility!

Now if only video sites like youtube would add key board shortcuts…

A few though, need to be configured through secret command line incantations.

I’ve finally ran across a way to add the full path of the directory into the Finder.

defaults write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle -bool YES

Restart the Finder and volia!

There are more customizations available from the command line here.

Cmd-Shift-/ (aka. Cmd-?)

Now just type in your menu command and the result comes up like quicksilver/spotlight.

Hit enter and volia!

use help to select menu items in leopard

A lot of folks are very reliant on the internet for information. Understandably so, but it doesn’t work in a weak and no wifi situation.

Using gem_server to get your documentation each time seems like a lot of work.

Enter Bashfully Yours, Gem Shortcuts.

By setting up my bash to load up gem documentation, I’m able to get documentation faster then you can off the web.

gemdoc hpricot

Done!

Try it out. It might even inspire you to help out with documenting a few gems.

Having used Block Mode editting in Textmate, I really needed to find a way to do the same in vi.

Volia!

Ctrl-V with ‘c’, ‘I’, and ‘A’ are the magic commands in vi

Vim Block Visual Mode