ruby-build is a command-line tool that downloads, compiles, and installs Ruby from source on Unix-like systems.
The tool automates the process of obtaining Ruby source code, extracting it, running configure and make install, and verifying the result. It handles additional complexity by discovering and linking to system libraries like OpenSSL, libyaml, and readline, and can compile OpenSSL itself if needed. The tool works as a standalone program or as a plugin for rbenv, providing the rbenv install command.
ruby-build is suitable for developers who need to install multiple Ruby versions or manage Ruby installations across Unix-like systems. It supports CRuby, JRuby, mruby, PicoRuby, and TruffleRuby implementations. One important consideration is that ruby-build bundles definition files for each Ruby version rather than querying remote resources, so you must upgrade the tool itself to install newly released Ruby versions. The README identifies ruby-install as an alternative for users who prefer a tool that always consults remote resources for the latest version list without requiring tool upgrades.
Maintainers typically respond to new issues and pull requests within a day. Work in the issue tracker centers on bug reports and enhancement requests.
