Installing gtk3 Ruby Gem on OS X Yosemite

As I found installing the gtk3 Ruby Gem on OS X Yosemite is a little fiddly, I thought I'd make a note of how to do it for next time so that I don't need to spend time searching the internet to found out how.

First, you need to install X-windows. That's pretty straightforward simply click on the X.11 icon in the Others collection in LaunchPad and follow the instructions.

Second, you need to install gtk+3 itself. Using HomeBrew that's straightforward:

    brew install gtk+3

Then the tricky bit. You need to help gem find the correct libffi library. I found  out how to do it thanks to the Ruby-Gnome team:

   sudo PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig gem install gtk3

Trying to Like Python

Having fun with projects on the Raspberry Pi would be so easy if I could overcome my dislike, in all probability based on my misperceptions, of Python. When it comes to Raspberry Pi, Python sits at the top table whereas Ruby wouldn't even get the crumbs of the floor if it wasn't for Sonic Pi.

I still have a belief, may be an irrational one, that it is easier for young kids to learn Ruby than Python. However, I know for a fact that it is a infinitely easier for them to use Python in Raspberry Pi projects.

Update: I still am finding Python difficult to like.