Easy way to change Ruby version in Mac, M1, M2 and M3

Luiz Gadão — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:26:20 +0000

I had some problems updating and installing Ruby on my Mac, which made it difficult to configure essential tools like CocoaPods for my daily work. Here's a guide to help you change your Ruby version easily. I spent 90 minutes figuring this out, but with this guide, you should be able to set up your environment in just 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install Homebrew

If you don't have Homebrew installed on your Mac, paste this line into your terminal to install it:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Install rbenv

rbenv is a simple tool to manage Ruby versions, similar to SDKMAN for Java. To install rbenv, use the following command:

brew install rbenv ruby-build

Step 3: Initialize rbenv

To start rbenv, run:

rbenv init

Maybe you need restart your sheel or open a new terminal window, but for me, it wasn't necessary.

Step 4: Check Your Current Ruby Version

To check your current Ruby version, use:

ruby -v

Example output:

ruby 2.6.10p210 (2022-04-12 revision 67958) [universal.arm64e-darwin23]

Step 5: Install a Newer Ruby Version

To see the available Ruby versions, run:

rbenv install -l

Example output:

3.1.6
3.2.4
3.3.3
jruby-9.4.7.0
mruby-3.3.0
picoruby-3.0.0

To install and set up a newer version, for example, version 3.3.3, use:

rbenv install 3.3.3

After donwloaded and intalled a ruby version, use:

rbenv global 3.3.3

Step 6: Verify Your Ruby Version

Now, check your Ruby version again:

ruby -v           
ruby 2.6.10p210 (2022-04-12 revision 67958) [universal.arm64e-darwin23]

If it still shows the old version, don't worry. Here's a tip:

Step 7: Update Your .zprofile

Open your .zprofile file and add the following lines:

export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(rbenv init - zsh)"

Save the file. To apply the changes, either open a new terminal window or reload the profile with:

source .zprofile

Check again your ruby version, just run the command bellow and you will see the current version of Ruby in your Mac.

ruby -v
ruby 3.3.3 (2024-06-12 revision f1c7b6f435) [arm64-darwin23]

Now your Mac is ready to install CocoaPods or any other tools you need for iOS development.
🇧🇷🧑🏻‍💻

DEV Community: Luiz Gadão