- Install VirtualBox on your host. I used the latest Oracle build on an openSUSE 11.2 host, but this should work on any host.
- Download the openSUSE i586 install DVD from http://software.opensuse.org/112/en. You don't need to burn it to media.
- Create a new virtual machine. The default RAM is 512 MB and the default disk is 8 GB. This should be fine - you can always make them bigger later.
- Assign the DVD image to the virtual machine CD drive and set the network adapter to "Bridged".
- Start the virtual machine. Go through the normal install sequence. Select "Other" and "server." When you get to "Partitioning", create an installation without a separate "/home" partition.
- Before the install starts, edit the "Software". Add "Web server" and "Ruby development" patterns. This will bring in the whole LAMP stack and Ruby. The Ruby is 1.8.7 P 72. Then do a "Details", "Search" and add the "git" package. Add PostgreSQL if you want it - I usually do since I know nothing about MySQL. ;-)
- Proceed with the install.
- When the machine comes back up, log in as "root". Note that "ssh" is *disabled* by default. If you want to work coming in via "ssh", you can change that default in the install.
- Edit the host name file "/etc/HOSTNAME".
- Do "yast2 ntp-client" and enable a time server.
- Do "zypper install rubygem-rails". This will install Rails 2.3 and its dependencies.
- Do "zypper install ruby-mysql rubygem-sqlite3". Do "zypper install rubygem-pg" or "zypper install rubygem-postgres" if you're using PostgreSQL.
- Do "yast2 http-server". This configures Apache, and tells you where stuff is in the process. ;-) It turns out that the "Document Root" is "/srv/www/htdocs" on an openSUSE 11.2 machine.
- To be continued ...