So you want to write a Ruby app...

The problem

Distributing Ruby apps to non-Ruby-programmer end users on Windows, Linux and OS X is problematic. If you require users to install Ruby or to use RubyGems, they can get into trouble or become frustrated.

Learn why requiring users to use Ruby is inappropriate »

Other solutions are suboptimal

Creating platform-specific packages for each Linux distro and each OS requires a lot of work. Because building such packages requires a fleet of VMs, building packages takes a lot of time.