Using a #! comment in ruby running in Ubuntu - ruby

I am new to programming and am trying to follow an example which uses #! comment in ruby.
I am consistently get the message:
bash: matz.rb: command not found
I am using this comment:
#! /usr/bin/env ruby
I have tried it with and without the space after ! as well as with and without the env.
when I use the
$ which ruby
ruby is in: /usr/bin/ruby
I have also gone into the operating system and changed the permissions on the file matz.rb to rwx for all users w/ no effect. Am I doing something wrong or do I have my system set up incorrectly?

The /usr/bin/env part is fine. You need to give bash the path to matz.rb when you run it. If you're in the directory with matz.rb, type "./matz.rb". The directory "." means the current directory - bash doesn't look there by default when running programs (like Windows does).
The env program (/usr/bin/env) searches the executable search path - the PATH environment variable - for the ruby program as if you typed it at the command prompt, and runs that program. The shebang comment doesn't do this. If you want to give your script to other people who might not have ruby installed in the same place as you, then you should use the "#!/usr/bin/env ruby" comment so that it will work as long as they can run ruby by typing "ruby".

If you're in the same directory as the matz.rb file, be sure to run it as
$ ./matz.rb
and not just
$ matz.rb
Here's a shell session demonstrating this working:
$ ls -la m*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 gareth gareth 32 8 Jan 08:46 matz.rb
$ cat matz.rb
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
puts "Matz"
$ matz.rb
-bash: matz.rb: command not found
$ ./matz.rb
Matz

Your file wasn't created on Windows was it? If it has \r\n line endings, that will upset bash. You can open it with Vim and check:
vi matz.rb
:set ff=unix
:wq
If when you tab-complete the "ff=" part it says dos, then it has the wrong file format. Alternatively, run dos2unix and try to run the file again:
apt-get install sysutils
dos2unix matz.rb

It sounds like you're on a Unix/Linux system and just typing matz.rb on the command line. If you're trying to execute a command in the current directory, you need to call it like ./matz.rb. The "./" tells it to look in the current directory rather than just /usr/bin and friends.

I failed to see any answer indicating you to change the executable mode of the file, so you might wanna try and do
chmod +x matz.rb
before you go and try doing
./matz.rb
Also it might be better not to attach a .rb extension to the file, such is the case for normal ruby / rails scripts e.g. script/generate, script/console etc.

You can use the 'shebang' line with either:
#!/usr/bin/ruby
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
But the script needs to be executable (you indicated it is) and in your shell $PATH.
echo $PATH
Put the script in one of those directories, or modify your path, otherwise specify the full path to it, for example:
export PATH=$PATH:/home/user/bin
or one of these:
./matz.rb
/home/user/bin/matz.rb
You can also run the Ruby interpreter passing the script filename as an argument, and it will be executed. This is particularly useful if you have another version of Ruby installed on your system (say, for testing, like Ruby Enterprise Edition, REE):
/usr/bin/ruby matz.rb
/opt/ree/bin/ruby matz.rb

Have you tried the ShaBang as following to directly point to ruby?
#! /usr/bin/ruby
Then you call the script from the commandline as
./matz.rb
Under Unix/Linux systems the dot in front of a command to search for the command in the current directory. If you give a path like /usr/bin/ruby, it will search in the current directory for a directory called usr...
A command without a dot/ in front is searched in locations specified by the path variable of the environment.
A command with a / on the beginning is searched exactly from root following the specified path.
Inside your ShaBang, you want to specify the exact path to the interpreter so "/usr/bin/ruby" is the correct one. On the commandline, where you want your script to be executed, you need to call the script with "./matz.rb" otherwise the bash will search a command like /usr/bin/matz.rb what leads to your errormessage.

Related

Run Ruby script without invoking it directly

I'm looking for solution how can run Ruby script without invoking it directly like
ruby /path/to/file.rb
So far, I have been using aliases in my .bashrc to create shortcut like
alias myscript='ruby /path/to/file.rb'
But now, I need to create a gem which I'd like to use on different computers and my current approach doesn't fit well for this.
What you could do is the following:
Create a shell script which invokes the Ruby script as your alias does:
ruby /path/to/file.rb
Set a softlink to the /usr/bin/ path to invoke it in the shell using somecommand:
ln -s /full/path/to/the/previously/created/shellscript /usr/bin/somecommand
If you wanna go further, you could create a shell script which does the soft-linking automatically.
Add a shebang to the beginning of the script
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
(check that shebang is #!)
then make your script executable
chmod +x file.rb
Now you can run the file as a "standalone" executable
# For example
$ ./file.rb
("Standalone", because the ruby interpreter still needs to be installed somewhere in your path.)

Ruby 1.9 If I have a shebang pointing to ruby, why doesn't the system see it?

I'm using Ubuntu. I'm trying to run a ruby file todo.rb
I added this shebang as the very first line of the file
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
I go to the directory where the rb file is located and then run todo.rb and get error todo.rb: command not found.
So I went directly to the /usr/bin directory. I found the env command and ran it. The output of the env command displays ruby paths and ruby data:
MY_RUBY_HOME=/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p290
PATH=/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/bin:/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290#global/bin:/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p290/bin:/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
GEM_PATH=/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290:/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290#global
RUBY_VERSION=ruby-1.9.2-p290
So since, I couldn't make it work, I changed the shebang to point to ruby directly:
#!/home/tallercreativo/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p290/bin/ruby
and I get same command not found error. What's wrong?
You need to first make your script executable:
chmod +x todo.rb
then you need to run it like so:
./todo.rb
You cannot run it by just saying todo.rb, unless you place it in your PATH, in which case you can do so from anywhere.
You're missing the ruby at the end of your env command. Did you mean:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
You need to tell env what executable you're looking for.
(Question Updated)
Are you executing your code like this? todo.rb ? You either need to provide the full path to your script (/home/you/project/todo.rb) or a relative path (./todo.rb) unless that directory is inside your $PATH.

Using ruby in UNIX shell

I have this program in ruby. I won't explain the whole process, but it gave me in the end a string.
I'd like to use this string in my shell. For now, I can generate it with ruby mysoft.rb
I'd like to use the result's string in a command, for exemple, when I commit with git, with something like this
git commit -m "$generated_string"
I would that the file was install on the computer and be usable by him. With a single command, he could have the generated string, from any directory, like a "normal" command like "ls" for exemple.
I have no idea how to do that ? Should I do a Gem ? Or something else. I'm new in Ruby, so, pretty confused.
Thanks a lot.
You are looking for shell command substitution; the syntax depends on which shell you are using. For example, if using bash or csh:
$ git commit -m `ruby mysoft.rb`
The following syntax does the same thing but in bash only:
$ git commit -m $(ruby mysoft.rb)
Change the first line of your program to this:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
This line tells the shell that ruby should be used to execute this script by default.
Before you can run the script however you need to add the executable bit to the file:
> chmod gou+x mysoft.rb
Now you can type on the command line directly:
> ./mysoft.rb
And ruby will run your program.
If you want to make the command globally available on your machine, for example with the name mysoft, then you need to do this:
> sudo cp mysoft.rb /usr/bin/mysoft
This will install the program in the bin directory of the system. After this whenever you type mysoft anywhere on the machine, your program will run.

How do I execute a bash script in Terminal?

I have a bash script like:
#!/bin/bash
echo Hello world!
How do I execute this in Terminal?
Yet another way to execute it (this time without setting execute permissions):
bash /path/to/scriptname
$prompt: /path/to/script and hit enter. Note you need to make sure the script has execute permissions.
cd to the directory that contains the script, or put it in a bin folder that is in your $PATH
then type
./scriptname.sh
if in the same directory or
scriptname.sh
if it's in the bin folder.
You could do:
sh scriptname.sh
This is an old thread, but I happened across it and I'm surprised nobody has put up a complete answer yet. So here goes...
The Executing a Command Line Script Tutorial!
Q: How do I execute this in Terminal?
The answer is below, but first ... if you are asking this question, here are a few other tidbits to help you on your way:
Confusions and Conflicts:
The Path
Understanding The Path (added by tripleee for completeness) is important. The "path" sounds like a Zen-like hacker koan or something, but it is simply a list of directories (folders) that are searched automatically when an unknown command is typed in at the command prompt. Some commands, like ls may be built-in's, but most commands are actually separate small programs. (This is where the "Zen of Unix" comes in ... "(i) Make each program do one thing well.")
Extensions
Unlike the old DOS command prompts that a lot of people remember, you do not need an 'extension' (like .sh or .py or anything else), but it helps to keep track of things. It is really only there for humans to use as a reference and most command lines and programs will not care in the least. It won't hurt. If the script name contains an extension, however, you must use it. It is part of the filename.
Changing directories
You do not need to be in any certain directory at all for any reason. But if the directory is not on the path (type echo $PATH to see), then you must include it. If you want to run a script from the current directory, use ./ before it. This ./ thing means 'here in the current directory.'
Typing the program name
You do not need to type out the name of the program that runs the file (BASH or Python or whatever) unless you want to. It won't hurt, but there are a few times when you may get slightly different results.
SUDO
You do not need sudo to do any of this. This command is reserved for running commands as another user or a 'root' (administrator) user. Running scripts with sudo allows much greater danger of screwing things up. So if you don't know the exact reason for using sudo, don't use it. Great post here.
Script location ...
A good place to put your scripts is in your ~/bin folder.
You can get there by typing
# A good place to put your scripts is in your ~/bin folder.
> cd ~/bin # or cd $HOME/bin
> ls -l
You will see a listing with owners and permissions. You will notice that you 'own' all of the files in this directory. You have full control over this directory and nobody else can easily modify it.
If it does not exist, you can create one:
> mkdir -p ~/bin && cd ~/bin
> pwd
/Users/Userxxxx/bin
A: To "execute this script" from the terminal on a Unix/Linux type system, you have to do three things:
1. Tell the system the location of the script. (pick one)
# type the name of the script with the full path
> /path/to/script.sh
# execute the script from the directory it is in
> ./script.sh
# place the script in a directory that is on the PATH
> script.sh
# ... to see the list of directories in the path, use:
> echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
# ... or for a list that is easier to read:
> echo -e ${PATH//:/\\n}
# or
> printf "%b" "${PATH//:/\\n}"
/usr/local/sbin
/usr/local/bin
/usr/sbin
/usr/bin
/sbin
/bin
2. Tell the system that the script has permission to execute. (pick one)
# set the 'execute' permissions on the script
> chmod +x /path/to/script.sh
# using specific permissions instead
# FYI, this makes these scripts inaccessible by ANYONE but an administrator
> chmod 700 /path/to/script.sh
# set all files in your script directory to execute permissions
> chmod +x ~/bin/*
There is a great discussion of permissions with a cool chart here.
3. Tell the system the type of script. (pick one)
Type the name of the program before the script. (Note: when using this method, the execute(chmod thing above) is not required
> bash /path/to/script.sh
...
> php /path/to/script.php
...
> python3 /path/to/script.py
...
Use a shebang, which I see you have (#!/bin/bash) in your example. If you have that as the first line of your script, the system will use that program to execute the script. No need for typing programs or using extensions.
Use a "portable" shebang. You can also have the system choose the version of the program that is first in the PATH by using #!/usr/bin/env followed by the program name (e.g. #!/usr/bin/env bash or #!/usr/bin/env python3). There are pros and cons as thoroughly discussed here.
Note: This "portable" shebang may not be as portable as it seems. As with anything over 50 years old and steeped in numerous options that never work out quite the way you expect them ... there is a heated debate. The most recent one I saw that is actually quite different from most ideas is the "portable" perl-bang:
#!/bin/sh
exec perl -x "$0" "$#"
#!perl
Firstly you have to make it executable using: chmod +x name_of_your_file_script.
After you made it executable, you can run it using ./same_name_of_your_file_script
Change your directory to where script is located by using cd command
Then type
bash program-name.sh
And yet one more way
. /path/to/script
What is the meaning of the dot?
If you are in a directory or folder where the script file is available then simply change the file permission in executable mode by doing
chmod +x your_filename.sh
After that you will run the script by using the following command.
$ sudo ./your_filename.sh
Above the "." represent the current directory.
Note!
If you are not in the directory where the bash script file is present then you change the directory where the file is located by using
cd Directory_name/write the complete path
command. Otherwise your script can not run.

Launching Ruby without the prefix "Ruby"

I'm on OS X (with bash) and a newbie at unix. I want to know if it's possible to amend some file such that to run a ruby program, I don't need "ruby file.rb", but instead can just run "ruby.rb".
Is there a reason NOT to do this?
Thanks!
Yes you can do this.
Assuming ruby.rb has something like this in it:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
puts 'Hello world'
At the command line: chmod +x ruby.rb
This makes it executable.
Then you can execute it like this:
./ruby.rb
For more details see wikibooks.
EDIT (Jörg W Mittag): Using #!/usr/bin/env ruby instead of #!/usr/bin/ruby as the shebang line is more portable, because on every Unix produced in the last 20 years, the env command is known to live in /usr/bin, whereas Ruby installations are typically all over the place. (E.g., mine lives in /home/joerg/jruby-1.2.0/bin/ruby.)
As others have mentioned, you want to have a shebang (#!) line at the beginning, and change the permissions to executable.
I would recommend using #!/usr/bin/env ruby instead of the path to Ruby directly, since it will make your script more portable to systems that may have Ruby installed in different directories; env will search in your search path, and so it will find the same Ruby that you would execute if you ran ruby on the command line. Of course, this will have problems if env is in a different location, but it is much more common for env to be at /usr/bin/env than for Ruby to be at /usr/bin/ruby (it may be in /usr/local/bin/ruby, /opt/bin/ruby, /opt/local/bin/ruby, etc)
#!/usr/bin/env ruby
puts "Hello!"
And make it executable:
chmod +x file.rb
chmod +x /path/to/file
No reason not to do it, as long as you prefix the interpreter with a shebang (#!/usr/local/ruby or whatever the path is on OSX). The shell doesn't care.
Place the correct shebang as the first line of your file. ex:
#!/usr/bin/ruby
in the shell, make the file executable
chmod +x file
If you want to do anything more complicated with running this application, you can always create a shell script:
#! /bin/sh
ruby ruby.rb
If you save it to run_script, you just have to chmod +x it as mentioned previously, then execute the following command:
$ ./run_script
I doubt this will be any more useful in your particular situation than the solutions already mentioned, but it's worth noting for completeness's sake.

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