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Ruby

Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points
Posted by Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points

rails server error: Could not find a JavaScript runtime

Hello, I am following along with a "Getting Started" course that builds a status app (named treehouse) using Ruby on Rails. After I typed this: rails generate scaffold status name:string content:text I got output, but a "Could not find a JavaScript runtime" error msg. What should I do to fix this problem?

4 Answers

Stone Preston
Stone Preston
42,016 Points
Stone Preston
Stone Preston
42,016 Points

install execjs and it should use node automatically for you:

$ gem install execjs

alternatively you can also try installing therubyracer and include it in your gem file

$ gem install therubyracer

then add it in your gemfile:

 gem "therubyracer"
Stone Preston
Stone Preston
42,016 Points
Stone Preston
Stone Preston
42,016 Points

install a JS runtime library like node.js and it should fix the issue. You can download node.js here

Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points
Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points

I'm using Windows 8.1. I installed it to C:\Program Files and that didn't work. So I copied/pasted the nodejs folder to the C:\Ruby200 one and it still doesn't work. Please explain how to install node.js after downloading and running the setup wizard. How do you connect it to Ruby on Rails?

Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points
Michelle Cannito
Michelle Cannito
8,992 Points

Thanks for your help. I couldn't get it to work, so I decided to use the Railsinstaller package instead. It includes Ruby, Rails, Sqlite, Git, Bundler, TinyTDS, SqL Server Support, and a DevKit in one download. I also write Ruby programs and create Rails applications in subdirectories of the installed directory.

I then figured out why the individual install of Ruby and then Rails didn't work when following along: there's a gap. The course video for the lesson begins with a Mac with a totally different prompt than a PC, and with the directory already made. So I made a directory that was not part of the installed directory. I put it in the C: directory because my guess is that that was where the video's created directory was. And I guess that is why it didn't work. I do think instructor notes should be added so that other students with a PC won't have the same problem.

The only downside with the package found at railsinstaller.com is that the 1.9 version of Ruby is used instead of the latest version. This isn't a problem for me at this stage of learning, but I would prefer to have the latest (non-Beta) versions of all the included software.