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Rails Development on Windows

Brandon Klotz
Brandon Klotz

Rails Development on Windows: A Complete Setup Guide for 2025

Setting up a Ruby on Rails development environment on Windows has traditionally been challenging, but with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2), you can now enjoy a seamless Linux-like development experience while staying on Windows. This guide will walk you through the complete setup process and help you avoid common pitfalls.

Why WSL2 for Rails Development?

Rails was built with Unix-like systems in mind, and many gems and tools expect a Linux environment. WSL2 provides:

  • Full Linux compatibility without the overhead of a virtual machine
  • Better performance than traditional Windows Rails setups
  • Access to the entire Linux ecosystem of development tools
  • Seamless integration with Windows applications like VS Code

Step 1: Setting Up WSL2

Install WSL2

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

This command will:

  • Enable the required Windows features
  • Download and install the latest Linux kernel
  • Install Ubuntu as your default Linux distribution

Important: Restart your computer after installation.

Install Windows Terminal

Download Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store. This modern terminal application provides:

  • Multiple tabs and panes
  • Better font rendering
  • Customizable themes
  • Improved copy/paste functionality

Step 2: Setting Up Your Linux Environment

Open your new Ubuntu terminal and update the system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential development dependencies:

sudo apt install -y curl gpg build-essential libssl-dev libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev libyaml-dev libsqlite3-dev sqlite3 libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev software-properties-common libffi-dev

Step 3: Installing Ruby with rbenv

Using a Ruby version manager like rbenv allows you to easily switch between Ruby versions for different projects.

Install rbenv

curl -fsSL https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv-installer/raw/HEAD/bin/rbenv-installer | bash
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Install Ruby

# Install the latest stable Ruby version
rbenv install 3.2.0
rbenv global 3.2.0

# Verify installation
ruby -v

Install Rails

gem install rails
rails -v

Step 4: Setting Up Node.js for Frontend Assets

Modern Rails applications often use JavaScript build tools and React components.

Install Node Version Manager (nvm)

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc

Install Node.js

# Install and use the latest LTS version
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

# Optionally install Yarn
npm install -g yarn

Step 5: Database Setup

PostgreSQL (Recommended)

PostgreSQL is the preferred database for most Rails applications in production:

sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib libpq-dev
sudo service postgresql start
sudo -u postgres createuser -s $(whoami)

MySQL (Alternative)

If your project requires MySQL:

sudo apt install mysql-server mysql-client libmysqlclient-dev

Step 6: Code Editor Configuration

VS Code with Remote-WSL

  1. Install VS Code on Windows
  2. Install the "Remote - WSL" extension
  3. Install these helpful extensions:
    • Ruby LSP
    • ES7+ React/Redux/React-Native snippets
    • Prettier - Code formatter
    • GitLens
    • Auto Rename Tag

Opening Projects in VS Code

From your WSL2 terminal, you can open any project directly in VS Code:

code ~/projects/myapp

Step 7: Git Configuration

Set up your Git identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Creating Your First Rails Application

Here's where many developers encounter their first major pitfall.

The File System Problem

āŒ Don't do this:

cd /mnt/c/Users/YourName/Projects
rails new myapp  # This will cause permission errors!

āœ… Do this instead:

cd ~
mkdir -p projects
cd projects
rails new myapp

Why the Difference Matters

The /mnt/c/ path represents your Windows C: drive mounted in WSL2. When Rails tries to set file permissions on executables (like files in the bin directory), Windows doesn't support the same permission model as Linux, causing chmod operations to fail with "Operation not permitted" errors.

Best Practice: Work in the Linux File System

Always create and work on your Rails projects within the WSL2 Linux file system (~/projects/). You can still access these files from Windows through the \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\yourusername\projects\ path in File Explorer.

Navigating Your Development Environment

Opening New Terminal Sessions

You have several options for opening WSL2 terminals:

  1. Windows Terminal: Press Win + R, type wt, press Enter
  2. Direct WSL: Press Win + R, type wsl, press Enter
  3. Start Menu: Search "Ubuntu" and click the app
  4. VS Code: Use `Ctrl + Shift + `` to open integrated terminal

Quick Navigation Tips

Create aliases for faster navigation:

# Add to ~/.bashrc
echo 'alias projects="cd ~/projects"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'alias myapp="cd ~/projects/myapp"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Now you can quickly navigate with simple commands:

projects  # Takes you to ~/projects
myapp     # Takes you to ~/projects/myapp

Testing Your Setup

Create a new Rails application to verify everything works:

cd ~/projects
rails new testapp --database=postgresql
cd testapp
bundle install
rails server

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser to see the Rails welcome page.

For React development:

npx create-react-app my-react-app
cd my-react-app
npm start

Conclusion

With WSL2, Windows has become a legitimate platform for Rails development. The key to success is understanding the file system boundaries and working within the Linux environment while leveraging Windows tools where appropriate.

This setup gives you:

  • A native Linux Rails development environment
  • Full Windows application compatibility
  • Excellent performance and stability
  • Easy integration with modern development tools

The learning curve is minimal, but the productivity gains are substantial. Once you're comfortable with this workflow, you'll find Rails development on Windows to be just as smooth as on macOS or Linux.

Happy coding! šŸš€