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Sarah Hoopes
6,304 PointsTotally lost on installing sass
I just started this video and I am completely lost. For other treehouse courses, I have always used the provided console. Now that one isn't provided, I don't know what I should be using. It also doesn't help that I'm using an unfamiliar PC (I don't have access to my mac right now).
I downloaded Ruby and the sass project files. I also downloaded notepad++. I have never used this before. So, I type my css into notepad, but what do I use to change directories, etc. since my set up is different from the demo?
I feel silly that I've gone this far and don't know how to do it without a provided workspace.
3 Answers
Keri Nicole
15,134 PointsIf you're on a PC, I assume that you're using Windows. I've found that trying to do anything with Ruby on Windows is a serious hassle. It's also pretty impossible to follow along with the videos here since the command line used is different. The best I can tell you is what I do (I finished the Sass course on a Windows PC as well as many others). I'm sorry it's not more specific to this particular course, but I think this setup will help you going forward for this and other lessons as well.
Download VirtualBox and set up a VM with Linux (I prefer Linux Mint, but there are lots of options). This is great, but takes a little time to set up. I enjoyed doing it, and thought it was good practice. The downside is that I get a lot of tabs going in my browser and sometimes it drags because I don't have a ton of RAM, but I think it'll work just fine for most of what you're doing. I managed to use this method through most of the Ruby Development Track. My lack of RAM only really started to show when I attempted to run the MySQL Workstation, but I digress.
Using Linux in a VM will allow you to follow along with the lessons where the instructor is using a Mac with little variation in how you enter the commands. Just open up the terminal and go for it in the same way that they do. If you run into any problems, there are tons of resources for getting development tools running in Linux, and if you find one specific for a Mac, you can usually figure out how to adapt.
The Linux terminal, if you choose the VM method, is what you'll use to change directories (or install gems, etc.) like they do in the video. You can follow along with everything the instructor does. It's pretty awesome, and will keep you from going crazy trying to troubleshoot problems in an OS you don't usually use. The bonus here is that when you get your Mac back, you won't have to relearn everything since the Linux commands are the same. Plus it's free!
If you have any issues setting any of that up, I'd be happy to help if I'm able. It's what I use, so I'm at least a little familiar with the setup. :)
Keri Nicole
15,134 PointsI just found this guide for Installing a Virtual Machine and Ubuntu on Windows 7 that I think might help you through the process. It looks pretty good, and has a lot of pictures. I linked to Linux Mint in my previous comment, which I prefer over Ubuntu, but you can pick whatever you'd like. The beauty of using VMs is that you can setup as many boxes as you wish and then you can just delete them if you want something different.
Mint is based on Ubuntu, but has a different (and I think cleaner) interface. This comparison explains the differences really well.
Sarah Hoopes
6,304 PointsThank you so much for your response. You did a great job of explaining it. I'm about to give it a try - I had to step away from it for a bit yesterday!
Keri Nicole
15,134 PointsYay! I was so excited to get all that set up for myself awhile back and it's been great. It's really such a fantastic solution and the best part is, if you mess up one of your VMs, you can just delete it and start again... no messing up the host system! :)
Kevin Seagrave
9,508 PointsI found that ruby version 1.9.3 worked best on windows version 2.0 would not install I just followed the notes and it worked I was doing sass from web design track and there was a guide in teacher notes not sure if this will help
Sarah Hoopes
6,304 PointsYes! This is helpful too. Thank you.