rbenv

Spec sheet

Purpose

rbenv manages Ruby versions on Unix-like systems so projects can use the Ruby version they require.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Intended users

The installer documentation describes rbenv-installer as intended for casual use on a user's own development machine.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com

Support

The project directs users to its GitHub issue tracker for bugs and ruby-build Discussions for build troubleshooting.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com

Command shims

rbenv generates shims for Ruby executables to route commands to the selected Ruby version.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Installation options

The project documents installation through Homebrew on macOS or Linux, Git, and packages for several Linux distributions.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plugins

rbenv supports plugins that can hook into or override almost any aspect of its default behavior.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Project selection

rbenv reads a project's .ruby-version file and switches Ruby versions when you change project directories.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com

Ruby implementations

ruby-build includes definitions for CRuby, JRuby, mruby, picoruby, and TruffleRuby.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Ruby installation

The rbenv install command is provided by the separate ruby-build plugin, which downloads, compiles, and installs Ruby versions.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Security and compliance

The repository identifies the project license as MIT.Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com

Shell and global selection

rbenv can set Ruby versions globally, per project, or for the current shell session.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Version list limit

ruby-build only knows versions bundled with the project, so installing a newly released Ruby version may require upgrading ruby-build first.Read 8 Oct 2026 · rbenv.org

Plans and prices

Every rbenv plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Runtime Version Managers#21 of 307.3
• Development Environment Managers#42 of 507.2