RubyGems is a package manager for the Ruby programming language that allows developers to easily manage and install Ruby libraries and dependencies. However, there may be times when you need to remove a Ruby gem from your Linux system. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of removing a Default Ruby gem using simple terminal commands.
Step 1: Launch the Terminal To begin, open your terminal application.
Step 2: Access Interactive Ruby (IRB) Once the terminal is open, type the following command to launch Interactive Ruby (IRB), which provides an interactive environment for Ruby programming:
irb
Press Enter to execute the command, and you will enter the IRB environment.
Step 3: Find the Gem’s Specifications Directory Within the IRB environment, enter the following command to obtain the directory address where the gem’s specifications are stored:
Gem.default_specifications_dir
After executing the command, you will see an output resembling the following:
"/home/user/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.7.1/lib/ruby/gems/2.7.0/specifications/default"
Make a note of this address as we will need it in the next step.
Step 4: Exit IRB and Navigate to the Gem’s Directory To exit the IRB environment, type “exit” or press Ctrl+D. You will return to the standard terminal prompt.
Next, change your directory to the location provided in the previous step by using the “cd” command. Replace the directory address in the command below with the one you obtained:
cd /home/user/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.7.1/lib/ruby/gems/2.7.0/specifications/default
Hit Enter to execute the command, and you will navigate to the gem’s directory.
Step 5: Delete the Gem’s Gemspec File In the final step, we will remove the gem’s gemspec file. Use the “rm” command followed by the name of the gem’s gemspec file. Replace “gemname-2.1.4” in the command below with the actual name of the gem and its version:
rm gemname-2.1.4.gemspec
By executing this command, the gem’s gemspec file will be deleted from your system, effectively removing the gem.
Removing a Default Ruby gem from your Linux system can be accomplished through a few straightforward terminal commands. By following the step-by-step guide outlined in this article, you should be able to successfully remove the desired gem. Remember to exercise caution when deleting gem files to avoid any unintended consequences.