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Qualify the README no-elevation claim for the VC++ Redistributable #2

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hsbt merged 2 commits into from
Jul 14, 2026
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Qualify the README no-elevation claim for the VC++ Redistributable #2

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Qualify the README no-elevation claim for the VC++ Redistributable
hsbt Jul 11, 2026
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Ignore the artifacts output directory
hsbt Jul 11, 2026
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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions .gitignore
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
_build/
dist/
artifacts/
*.msi
*.wixpdb
*.cab
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14 changes: 13 additions & 1 deletion README.md
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Expand Up @@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ more than that zip layout.
rbmanager is a small version manager in the spirit of Python's install
manager (PEP 773): it fetches a binary-package zip, extracts it under
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ruby\rubies\`, and makes it available on PATH. No
elevation is required at any point. Both names mirror pymanager: the
elevation is required for rbmanager itself or for the per-user rubies;
see below for the one exception. Both names mirror pymanager: the
command is `rb` as pymanager's is `py`, and the data directory is named
after the language (`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ruby`, like `%LocalAppData%\Python`)
rather than after the tool. rbmanager remains the product name.
Expand All @@ -41,6 +42,17 @@ it (signature-verified, elevated); `--yes` skips the consent prompt.
C extension gems with MSVC; see
[docs/devkit-enable.md](docs/devkit-enable.md).

The official mswin packages deliberately do not bundle
vcruntime140.dll (https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/22180) and expect
the machine-wide Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable instead. That
component installs per-machine, which is the one exception to the
no-elevation rule: when it is missing, `rb setup` offers to download
and install it through a single UAC prompt. Declining the consent
question or the UAC prompt leaves rbmanager and the installed rubies
intact; `rb setup` prints the installer URL so an administrator can
install it manually, and `rb install` / `rb use` merely warn that
ruby.exe cannot start until the runtime is present.

The active ruby is exposed through an NTFS directory junction
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ruby\current`, and `install` appends
`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Ruby\current\bin` to the user PATH once; switching
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5 changes: 3 additions & 2 deletions src/rbmanager/VcRedist.cs
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Expand Up @@ -76,11 +76,12 @@ public static async Task<int> Ensure(bool assumeYes)
return 0;
}

Console.WriteLine("""
Console.WriteLine($"""
The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64) is not installed.
Ruby's official Windows packages rely on it; without vcruntime140.dll
ruby.exe cannot start. Installing it affects the whole machine and
prompts for administrator approval (UAC).
prompts for administrator approval (UAC). Without administrator
rights, ask an administrator to install {InstallerUrl} instead.
""");
if (!assumeYes)
{
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