From: "Peña, Botp" Date: 2007-05-08T12:03:58+09:00 Subject: Re: Gem-only releases From: darren kirby [mailto:bulliver@badcomputer.org] : # begin # require 'rubygems' # rescue LoadError # end # # so that it may work for both. I plain and simple don't understand why # the "require 'rubygems'" is required (pardon the pun), to # make gem installed libs visable to Ruby. short answer: love. either you love gem or you don't. there was another brilliant and apt-like ruby packaging system (rpa) started by mauricio et al years back, but it was abandon for lack of support from the masses; (i think) mainly because a lot of those packages then did not pass rpa standards or may rubyhackers then hated standards --just my opinionated opinion :) seriously though, these package-related issues have been discussed for years, pls see the archives.