From: Fabian Streitel <karottenreibe@...>
Date: 2009-07-11T09:03:22+09:00
Subject: Re: Best OS packages for Ruby?

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> > > Perhaps.  But if you are running 1.8.7, and writing code for general
> > > distribution, is there not a real chance you will end up with code that
> > > only works with 1.8.7?
>

>
> This is a separate issue, and one you didn't address.


Yes I did: Write in 1.8.6 if that's gonna be an issue for you. If you want
portability and stability, write for 1.8.6. Noone's forcing you to use 1.8.7

The problem comes when 1.8.7 breaks legacy code


As Joel VanderWerf pointed out, there isn't very much code in 1.8.7 that
actually breaks things.


> , and adds all these new
> features, which are really all in 1.9 anyway. The only reason you'd want to
> use 1.8.7 instead of 1.8.6 is to have those features, right? But the only
> reason you'd want to use 1.8.7 instead of 1.9 is you had legacy code that
> breaks in 1.9.
>
> So you're basically trying to have it both ways, which really doesn't make
> sense.


Yes, sure it does. You're probably thinking big-time applications. I'm
thinking
much smaller. I'm not a corporate Ruby-writer, I'm a home-scripting
geek-guy.
I write small applications, mostly for myself and like 2 other people.

And I love 1.8.7
I don't have to worry about gems not working with it, but I still get to use
all
the nice features I wouldn't wanna miss for the world.

Again: If you want either only stability and compatibility or only the
bleeding-edge
stuff -- pick any other version. I'm not stopping you...

Also, 1.9.1 is very often not distributed as a binary package yet (at least
not on
my distro) and I personally hate to compile stuff from source, when there is
a
perfectly viable alternative available as a binary.

Greetz!

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