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Install RVM and Ruby on Linux

This guide explains how to install RVM (Ruby Version Manager) and Ruby on Linux.

Prerequisites​

Install the packages required to build Ruby. On Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl gpg gcc g++ make libssl-dev libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev libyaml-dev libffi-dev

On Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install -y curl gcc gcc-c++ make openssl-devel readline-devel zlib-devel libyaml-devel libffi-devel

On Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S base-devel openssl readline zlib libyaml libffi

Install RVM​

  1. Install the RVM signing key (recommended for security):
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 409B6B1796C275462A1703113804BB82D39DC0E3 7D2BAF1CF37B13E2069D6956105BD0E739499BDB
  1. Install RVM (stable version):
curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable
  1. Load RVM in your current shell:
source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm

To load RVM automatically in new shells, ensure your shell config (e.g. ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc) contains:

source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm

The installer usually adds this for you. If not, add it manually and run source ~/.bashrc (or your config file).

Install Ruby​

  1. List available Ruby versions (optional):
rvm list known
  1. Install the latest stable Ruby:
rvm install ruby

Or install a specific version, for example 3.3:

rvm install 3.3
  1. Set the default Ruby (if you have multiple versions):
rvm use 3.3 --default
  1. Verify the installation:
ruby --version
gem --version

Quick reference​

TaskCommand
Install RVMcurl -sSL https://get.rvm.io \| bash -s stable
Load RVMsource ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm
Install Rubyrvm install ruby
Install specificrvm install 3.3
Set defaultrvm use 3.3 --default
List installedrvm list
List availablervm list known

Troubleshooting​

  • "RVM is not a function"
    Run source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm or open a new terminal after ensuring your shell config loads RVM.

  • Build errors when installing Ruby
    Install the prerequisite dev packages for your distro (see Prerequisites above) and try again.

  • Permission errors
    Install RVM in your user directory (as in this guide); avoid using sudo with RVM.