My Personal Journey of Switching to Ruby on Rails - Environment

No, I am not saying good-bye to Microsoft technologies forever – at least not yet. I have watched Ruby and Rails for years. I have tried some samples and tutorials, have bought some videos. At the end, you have to dive into the environment to really get it.

So, I bought a Mac Book Pro last year. It’s an expensive machine. But, I know I will not really know Ruby on Rails if I don’t make the plunge. I could have used Linux, but I know I will have better experience with Mac than having to struggle through the compatibility problems with running Linux on PC. Anyway, I got a Mac, running Windows as VM if I need to do any Windows work.

Then I started learning Linux command. That is where the drop of productivity start getting me. I am a proficient PC user. I can do things on PC that I have no idea how to do in terminal. There is no other way. You just have to start from the basics, learning the basic commands like ‘ls’, ‘cd’, ‘cp’ and so on. Google is your best friend. Chances are you are not the only person with the same problem - you just have to google to find it.

Then I started learning VIM. I am reasonably good at typing and I enjoy Resharper with keyboard shortcuts. By switching to VIM, I have to start learning all the modes and commands. These video tutorials helped me a lot during my VIM learning.

In summary, the biggest hurdle I have to work out during the switch is the ‘perceived’ lost of productivity. For me, I choose to do this alone, so it is harder than having a local expert that can help you out along the way. I don’t have a person to validate my learning. I have to accept the fact that I might go dard for a while. Especially, the more proficient you are with PC, the greater the productivity loss will be. In the end, only time and faith can help you get through the hurdle.

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