Linux: how to uninstall something that isn't a package...?

Question

I installed ruby1.9.1 from source using sudo make install. How can I uninstall this?

Basically I just don't want 'ruby' to map to ruby1.9.1, but instead the default 1.8.7.

Also sudo make uninstall does nothing.

Solution 1

This is more of a ruby specific thing, so it almost now belongs in SO. Here is what to do (as per this blog post.

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/ruby
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/ruby
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/irb
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/rake

Solution 2

Check the makefile for a 'make uninstall' target. Sometimes they come with those.

Failing that, the best you can do is carefully read the 'make install' target and then manually undo what it did.

Comments

[Benjamin Bannier]

Did you run your make uninstall from the directory with the ./condigure'd sources you used to install?

[quack quixote]

this might be a duplicate (in practical terms, regarding what answers can be posted) of superuser.com/questions/137592/…

[quack quixote]

i'm presuming your sudo make unisntall was a typo in the question post, not the command you actually tried? cause that shouldn't work but sudo make uninstall might.

[sarath]

yes typo SU. Ruby has no uninstall.

[sarath]

installwatch doesn't help, because it wont reinstall unless i uninstall.