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Rails Applications Upgrade Steps for Ruby, Rails and Gems

Commands to keep your app healthy, Ruby and Rails gems wise.
Each command is described further below.
Open new Terminal, note the gemsets showing:

rvm gemset list

You will see you are using the (default) gemset.
Keep your system up to date with rvm and brew:

rvm get stable
brew update
brew doctor
rvm list known

The part you are most interested in this day of 20170924 reads as:

[ruby-]2.2[.7]
[ruby-]2.3[.4]
[ruby-]2.4[.1]
ruby-head

Now, check your ruby version, just so you know,
upgrading command comes later, make no change at this point.

ruby -v
rvm gemset list
rvm gemset use global
gem update --system
gem update rake
gem update bundler
gem update rubygems-bundler
gem outdated

A VALID NOTE from stackoverflow
"don't ever use 'bundle update' or 'gem update' arbitrarily. That's like saying
"give me the newest versions of all gems from all available sources" without knowing
the effects beforehand. It can be a Pandora's Box of trouble if you aren't careful,
especially 'bundle update'."

The solution to this problem causer is to update gems one at a time, and run tests.
This method lets you easily check each Gem's upgrades as you go along, and prevents
your being overwhelmed with breaks in your app. When you have tests in place covering
your code, finding the causes of those breaks becomes easy peasy lemon squeezey.

EXAMPLE: bundle update selenium-webdriver and then run your tests, to check.
EXAMPLE: bundle update launchy and then run tests that use Launchy, to check.

gem update
rvm list known
rvm install 2.4.1 : adjust versions as needed if Gist not current to latest Ruby or Rails versions.

pwd : check where you are any time you wish.

cd your_application_name
rvm gemset list
open -e Gemfile : change Ruby version
open -e .ruby-version : change Ruby version
open -e .ruby-gemset : change Ruby version
rvm use 2.4.1
rvm gemset use Rails5_app_name --create --default

with above command used once, below is never needed

rvm gemset use Rails5.1_app_name

ruby -v
rails -v

If all is well on rails response, skip down to

bundle update rails

otherwise do this:

open -e Gemfile : to change Rails version to 2.4.1, then run

gem install rails : If all is not well, check your gemset with:

rvm gemset list : decipher the terminal response.

If you see an error such as:
Ignoring executable-hooks-1.3.2 because its extensions are not built.
Try: gem pristine executable-hooks --version x.x.x

Do not do the Try suggestion.
It means you are in the default or global gemset or you have a brand new gemset.
Verify your app's gemset with:

rvm gemset list

Changing gemset will work if you are in wrong one, or ..
With new gemset selected, run:

gem install rails

NOW, you can run this one:

bundle update rails

If you ever lose track of where you are, commands wise, just type into your Terminal:

history

Now, run bundle_install and it should be clean through up to date, no additions or changes:

bundle install

Now, do we have any outdated gems ? This is a safe command, changing nothing:

bundle outdated

Next command is not a safe one, possibly updating many gems, changing many things:

See A VALID NOTE above, and note here below before running bundle update

Run bundle outdated before you blindly run the following update command. You can see how many gems will be updated if all are done with one command. You can update gems one by one with bundle update gem_name

Recommend you do a git commit command before you run this
updates-all-gems-command, IF you have many gems outdated.

bundle update
ruby -v

Returns : ruby 2.4.1p111 (2017-03-22 revision 58053) [x86_64-darwin16]

rails -v
Rails 5.1.2

gem list

Before you push to production, check your Gemfile.lock for vulnerabilites: Is It Vulnerable ?

Explanations :

rvm get stable : updates your rvm:

rvm get stable

brew update : will update your Homebrew (takes a while):

brew update

brew doctor : will tell you all is well with your Homebrew (takes a while):

brew doctor

rvm list known : will show you the Rubies rvm knows about and can install.
If you do not see Ruby 2.4.1 in the list, we will cover what to do further below.

rvm list known

pwd : will show you what directory you are in:

pwd

Change into your working directory:

cd your-application-name

Check your Ruby version. Expect version to be 2.4.1 or later:

ruby -v

Check your Rails version. Expect version to be 5.1.2 or later: rails -v

Choose your correct gemset for your app, if you have more than one.
Let us presume this is your first gemset ..
We will create a good name for it : Rails5.1_app_name
Yes, change the app_name to your app's name for easy reference.
When you upgrade to Rails5.1 simply create a new gemset, and you
can revert to the Rails5.1 gemset should the need arise.

For the first time use, we will add the create and default switches.

rvm gemset use Rails5.1_app_name --create --default

Run thhis command again, you will see the gemset is being used:

rvm gemset list

You just created and are now using the application's gemset.
The --default switch will cause this gemset to be used when
you first enter the app directory. At this point, I personally
like to close that terminal window and open a new one, and watch
the rvm magic show itself as it recognizes the new gemset.

If you ever change gemsets, the use command is the way back.
However, at this point, when you change directory into this app,
the .ruby-gemset file will be used to set the correct gemset.

You can use the command to change gemsets and change back:

rvm gemset use Rails5.1_app_name
rvm gemset use Rails5.2_app_name

Your app is now ready to go.
At any time you can do the steps above to keep your app humming.

As needed to be current, make appropriate changes here: open -e .ruby-gemset
open -e .ruby-version
bundle install

Before you push to production, check your Gemfile.lock for vulnerabilites:
Is It Vulnerable ?

Fire it up with:

rails s

INSTRUCTIONS :

Use the global gemset for this part.

rvm gemset list

You can now see the global gemset exists, now we use it.

rvm gemset use global

You are now using the global gemset, run the list command again,
you will see it is so.

rvm gemset list

Now we begin the updates :

gem update --system : does what it says, updates your system

gem update --system

gem update rake : does what it says, updates your rake gem gem update rake

gem update bundler : does what it says, updates your bundler gem gem update bundler

gem update rubygems-bundler : updates your rubygems-bundler gem gem update rubygems-bundler

gem outdated : checks global gemset for out of date gems gem outdated

See A VALID NOTE above.

gem update : will update the global gemset

gem update

Update work is now complete using the global gemset.
Next step is to make sure you are in your working directory ..

pwd : will show you what directory you are in.

pwd

Change into your app directory.

cd my_application_name

Now, we look for and change to the gemset the application is using.

rvm gemset list

Choose your correct gemset for your app, if you have more than one.
If that gemset does not exist in the list, what i do is this :
Make sure the Gemfile shows Ruby at 2.3.0
Make sure the .ruby-version file shows 2.3.0
You can use the open -e file-address command at the terminal_prompt.

open -e Gemfile : add the current version of Rails, currently 5.1.2
open -e .ruby-version : currently it reads as 2.4.1
open -e .ruby-gemset : currently reads as Rails5.1_app_name

Make sure the .ruby-gemset file reads as your real app-gemset-name .
Further below, we will be giving the gemset the name of, Rails5.1_app_name .

ruby -v : will respond with your Ruby version.

ruby -v

If the response is not 2.4.1, tell rvm to use Ruby-2.4.1

rvm use 2.4.1

If the response is not, You are now using Ruby 2.3.0, run:

rvm list known : to show you what rubies rvm knows about.

rvm list known

If the 2.3.0 Ruby is not showing, run this lovely command.

rvm install 2.4.1

Watch for rvm install instructions, if any, and use them.
Voila, you are now on Ruby 2.4.1 and yes, it is that easy.
Now that you are using 2.4.1 we can create the gemset.

rvm gemset use Rails5.1_app_name --create --default

At this point, I personally like to close that terminal window
and open a new one, and watch the rvm magic show itself as it
recognizes the new gemset, if this is the first time you set it.

If you ever change gemsets, this is the way back.
(However, at this point, when you change directory into this app,
the .ruby-gemset file will be used to set the correct gemset.)

rvm gemset use Rails5.1_app_name

Check your Ruby version. Expect version to be 2.4.1

ruby -v

Check your Rails version. Expect version to be 5.1.2

rails -v

If you are not yet using Rails5.1.2, this is the point that you do so.*
gem install rails

Notice it is not, bundle install here, we used gem install.
Make sure you do not skip this next step.

bundle update rails

bundle install

It should be a clean response with no additions or changes.
If you have difficulties here, trash your Gemfile.lock file, then run this command again.

bundle install

Next we update Rails and it is important to do this every time you upgrade Rails versions.

rake rails:update

*If the process asks you if you want to overwrite a file, type in
d for diff and it will show you the changes it is about to make.
If you have working code in your file that cannot be overwritten,
and yet there is new code to be added, simply open the file it wants to overwrite,
and make those additions by hand, save the file, close it,
and choose n : do not allow the overwrite. That preserves your code and adds new.

An example is if you are using the Spring gem, you will see codes with /spring/ in the
bin file overwrite question, after you type in d for diff ..
Do not allow overwrite of spring codes in the bin/files.

Now is a good time to update your bundled gems.*
bundle outdated : will show you all outdated gems in the gemset you are using.

bundle outdated

See A VALID NOTE above.

bundle update : will will update your gems.

bundle update

Bundler now does its magic.
Follow any instructions bundler gives you while it updates.

Now check your Rails version, it should read 5.1.2

rails -v

Your Ruby version should read as 2.4.1

ruby -v

Your app is now updated, Ruby, Rails and gems wise Welcome to the Nearest Edge of Ruby on Rails Three cheers for your Rails app's health - This Gister

This list draws heavily upon my learnings with RailsApps Tutorials, specifically Updating to Rails 4.2.

If you are looking for a Ruby on Rails Tutorial, go RailsApps, where you can truly begin at the beginning and learn your way to deploy with confidence. We did.

Address of This Rails Applications Health Codes Gist is : https://gist.github.com/kathyonu/c9ef8190e50422bc0edc

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