Revised advice for Mac users of ruby-processing

Update 7 December 2012

It appears that vanilla processing-2.1.0 may not be working on Mavericks, however processing-2.0.3 does work, especially using Apple jvm (but this is unsustainable in longer term, and I am sure you should be working towards using the latest Oracle jvm). It seems that you should really install the Oracle JDK rather than just the runtime (to get links updated etc) but if you have previously installed the Apple jvm make sure you do a thorough job of uninstalling it first.
I have just updated the main branch of ruby-processing (version 2.4.0) to make use of an installed version of vanilla processing. Until Ben Fry endorses processing-2.1+ on Mavericks, I recommend installing processing-2.0.3 on the Mac (and processing 2.1+ on linux and Microsoft windows).

Ruby-processing on MacOSX, Apple or Oracle JVM

UPDATED 1 February 2014 ruby-processing-2.4.2 (is now available as a rubygem)

Now this is entirely theoretical as I've exceptionally limited experience with a MAC (I once loaded some photos on my Artist friends MAC). However, from what I understand if you update to Mavericks, you won't have java installed.  The ideal solution from my point of view, is that this forces you to install Oracle jdk1.7.0_51 (64 bit). However apparently if you are conservative, or otherwise need it, apparently you can get Apple jvm here.


For OSX users incapable of using google, for some reason following link may be helpful stackoverflow it may even encourage you to do the sensible thing and install the Oracle jvm?

But what does this mean for ruby-processing on MacOSX:

Use processing-2.0.3 especially if you are sticking with Apple jvm (Mavericks or otherwise)

Step by step instruction to install of the latest version of ruby-processing:-

1. Install jruby (at least version 1.7.3 but preferably 1.7.10)
2. Install processing-2.0.3, or if not on Mavericks you could try processing-2.1.1 & jdk7
3. Run the processing sketch here to set the path to the processing root
4. gem install ruby-processing
5. install_jruby_complete
6. cd your work directory
7. rp5 unpack samples
8. cd samples/contributed
9. rp5 run grapher.rb (or jwishy.rb or whatever)

Please report how you get on since if I can establish that this is working OK we will be able to return to ruby-gems distribution. If you don't have a system installed jruby, all sketches you would need to use the --nojruby flag to use the vendored jruby-complete eg

rp5 --nojruby run grapher.rb

Here is another link that might be useful re installing jdk7.