Install MySQL, Ruby, Rails, and Mongrel with MacPorts

about 1 year ago

MacPorts makes it simple and easy to install the latest versions of all the tools you need for Rails development. It conveniently keeps them separate from the ones that come with OS X, so things that depend on the OS X versions won't break, and you can remove them again anytime you like. This guide will walk you through the installation process.

Installing MacPorts

First, make sure you've got XCode installed. You'll find the installer on your OS X install disks.

Next, go to the MacPorts download page and grab the .dmg file that corresponds to your version of OS X. Go ahead and run the installer.

Once that's done, open Terminal and type:

touch .bash_profile
open .bash_profile

This will pop open a TextEdit window. Add the following two lines to the end of the file and save it (it may be empty to start with):

export PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:$PATH
export MANPATH=/opt/local/share/man:$MANPATH

Now go back to Terminal and type:

source .bash_profile

What have you just done? MacPorts has created an /opt/local folder under which it will install any software you ask it to. The lines you added to your .bash_profile file ensure that when you run something like ruby in the Terminal, your shell can find the MacPorts installed version, and, importantly, find it before the regular OS X one.

Installing Everything Else: The Lightning Version

Here are all the commands you need to run in the Terminal to install Ruby, MySQL, Rails, and Mongrel:

sudo port install ruby
sudo port install rb-rubygems
sudo port install mysql5 +server
sudo -u mysql mysql_install_db5
sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.mysql5.plist
sudo port install rb-mysql
sudo gem install -y rails
sudo gem install -y mongrel

Step By Step

Here's the same thing again, step by step with some more details.

Install Ruby with:

sudo port install ruby

You'll be asked for your password. Port will take a while to run; it's building Ruby from source.

Next install RubyGems with:

sudo port install rb-rubygems

RubyGems will let you install things like Rails later on.

Install the MySQL 5 server:

sudo port install mysql5 +server

Set up MySQL's default databases:

sudo -u mysql mysql_install_db5

Start MySQL and ensure that it starts automatically when you restart your Mac:

sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.mysql5.plist

Install the Ruby MySQL library:

sudo port install rb-mysql

Install Rails and everything it depends on:

sudo gem install -y rails

Install Mongrel, so Rails will run a bit more nicely:

sudo gem install -y mongrel

That's it! You now have your own copies of Ruby, Rails, MySQL, and Mongrel all ready to go.

...
--->  Verifying checksum(s) for ncursesw
--->  Extracting ncursesw
--->  Applying patches to ncursesw
--->  Configuring ncursesw
--->  Building ncursesw with target all
--->  Staging ncursesw into destroot
--->  Installing ncursesw 5.6_1
--->  Activating ncursesw 5.6_1
Error: Target org.macports.activate returned: Image error: /opt/local/bin/captoinfo already
exists and does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port ncursesw.
Error: The following dependencies failed to build: ncurses ncursesw openssl zlib readline
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.