From: Tamara Temple <tamouse.lists@...>
Date: 2013-08-01T10:19:11+09:00
Subject: Re: cannot install gems


On Jul 31, 2013, at 10:48 AM, Tom Cloyd <tomcloydmsma@gmail.com> wrote:

> Marcus - thanks for your help...
> 
> On 07/31/2013 06:00 AM, sto.mar@web.de wrote:
>> Am 31.07.2013 05:20, schrieb Tom Cloyd:
>>> Environment: Kubuntu Linux 13.4 | rvm 1.21.3 (stable) | ruby 1.8.7
>>> (2013-06-27 patchlevel 374) [i686-linux]
>>> 
>>> I'm following the advice of the authors of /The Rspec Book/, and trying
>>> to recreate the environment (ruby-1.8.7 etc.) in which the book's code
>>> was run.
>> If you absolutely must... but 1.8.7 is <del>dead</del> retired.
> I'm well aware of this, but it IS the version used in the book, which we are urged to use. I will be running the book's code on Ruby 2.0.0 as well.

Well, they do say that, but that book was published in 2010, which means it was finished in 2009, starting when (2005?) that old code was the leading edge.

It may hold true that you might understand the code better if you work in the same versions, however, how long can that possibly hold true for? Hopefully, the authors will come up with an update (it *is* needed for the code alone).

But I also think that admonition is false. You do not need to use their exact same versions at all to get good learning from that book. The best way I've found is to treat it not as a reference, but as a text book.

Here, really, lies the question: do you want to curtail your learning chances by adhering strictly to a (strong) suggestion from a book that is out of date, or get on with learning things using what is current?