rubybuild

Rubybuild is an open-source, Bash-based utility designed to install multiple Ruby interpreter versions from source. It originated as a helper for the rbenv project and is commonly used as a companion plugin to simplify downloading, configuring, compiling, and installing Ruby versions. While primarily focused on MRI Ruby, rubybuild provides definitions and patches that support building a range of versions across platforms.

Rubybuild operates by using a collection of install definitions (recipes) that know how to fetch source tarballs or Git revisions, apply necessary patches, and run the standard configure and make steps. It installs Ruby versions into a chosen prefix, typically a directory managed by a Ruby version manager such as rbenv or another tool that consumes Ruby installations. Dependency requirements include a working C compiler, development headers, and common libraries such as OpenSSL, zlib, and readline, which must be present on the host system.

Installation and usage: The project is hosted on GitHub and is commonly installed as part of the rbenv workflow or via system package managers on various platforms. After installation, ruby-build can be used to install a specific Ruby version, for example: ruby-build 3.1.2 ~/.rbenv/versions/3.1.2. The resulting installation can be managed by the associated version manager to set global or local Ruby versions.

Configuration and maintenance: ruby-build can be updated independently of the Ruby interpreters it installs. The repository contains definitions for many releases, including patch versions and release candidates maintained by the community. It is distributed under an open-source license and is maintained through collaborative development.