If you want to set up a rails application on an amazon´s EC2 Instance, this might be something for you. Please note, that this instruction only covers the installation of rails and all its dependencies. If you want to use rails for production, you should also install an apache.

1. If not already done, go to Amazon's EC2 Dashboard and launch a new Ubuntu Instance.

2. After that, you get a permission file *.pem. Save that on your disc and restrict the permissions to 600:

   chmod 600 ~/myinstance.pem
   

3. Connect to the server via ssh

   ssh ubuntu@ec2-x-x-x-x.compute-1.amazonaws.com -i ~/myinstance.pem
   

Replace the -x-x-x-x with your real instance name and ~/myinstance.pem with the path to your .pem-file

1. All following steps take place on your ubuntu machine. First of all, update the package manager

   sudo apt-get update
   

2. Install ruby

   sudo apt-get install ruby-full build-essential
   

3. Install rubygems

   sudo apt-get install rubygems
   

4. Install rails

   sudo gem install rails
   

5. Install sqlite and the ruby gem

   sudo apt-get install libsqlite3-dev
   sudo gem install sqlite3-ruby
   

6. Install nodejs

   sudo apt-get install nodejs npm
   

7. Create a rails test application

   mkdir home/ubuntu/www
   cd home/ubuntu/www
   rails new testapp
   

8. Start the rails server

   rails server
   

   Please note, that you should not use this server in production. This just a test, to see if rails runs on your EC2 instance.

9. Finally, set up the security group in your AWS console, so that port 3000 is activated. In your AWS console click on 'NETWORK & SECURITY > Security Groups'. Choose the security group of your instance. In settings klick on 'Inbound' and create a new rule:

   TCP
   3000
   0.0.0.0/0
   

   Don´t forget to press 'Apply Rule Changes' when done!

10. Go to ubuntu@ec2-x-x-x-x.compute-1.amazonaws.com:3000. There you should see the rails default screen!

    

11. Next steps: Set up an apache to deliver your application.