'rails server' command not working in terminal

Question

I'm pretty new to rails, and trying to setup an extremely simple test site.

I've created the new rails app directory using the rails new command, but then cannot setup the server to view the page in a browser.

(Below is the message I receive when attempting rails server )

MacBook-Pro:documents AT$ rails server
Usage:
  rails new APP_PATH [options]

Options:
  -r, [--ruby=PATH]                                      # Path to the Ruby binary of your choice
                                                         # Default: /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.0/usr/bin/ruby
  -m, [--template=TEMPLATE]                              # Path to some application template (can be a filesystem path or URL)
      [--skip-gemfile], [--no-skip-gemfile]              # Don't create a Gemfile
  -B, [--skip-bundle], [--no-skip-bundle]                # Don't run bundle install
  -G, [--skip-git], [--no-skip-git]                      # Skip .gitignore file
      [--skip-keeps], [--no-skip-keeps]                  # Skip source control .keep files
  -O, [--skip-active-record], [--no-skip-active-record]  # Skip Active Record files
  -V, [--skip-action-view], [--no-skip-action-view]      # Skip Action View files
  -S, [--skip-sprockets], [--no-skip-sprockets]          # Skip Sprockets files
      [--skip-spring], [--no-skip-spring]                # Don't install Spring application preloader
  -d, [--database=DATABASE]                              # Preconfigure for selected database (options: mysql/oracle/postgresql/sqlite3/frontbase/ibm_db/sqlserver/jdbcmysql/jdbcsqlite3/jdbcpostgresql/jdbc)
                                                         # Default: sqlite3
  -j, [--javascript=JAVASCRIPT]                          # Preconfigure for selected JavaScript library
                                                         # Default: jquery
  -J, [--skip-javascript], [--no-skip-javascript]        # Skip JavaScript files
      [--dev], [--no-dev]                                # Setup the application with Gemfile pointing to your Rails checkout
      [--edge], [--no-edge]                              # Setup the application with Gemfile pointing to Rails repository
  -T, [--skip-test-unit], [--no-skip-test-unit]          # Skip Test::Unit files
      [--rc=RC]                                          # Path to file containing extra configuration options for rails command
      [--no-rc], [--no-no-rc]                            # Skip loading of extra configuration options from .railsrc file

Runtime options:
  -f, [--force]                    # Overwrite files that already exist
  -p, [--pretend], [--no-pretend]  # Run but do not make any changes
  -q, [--quiet], [--no-quiet]      # Suppress status output
  -s, [--skip], [--no-skip]        # Skip files that already exist

Rails options:
  -h, [--help], [--no-help]        # Show this help message and quit
  -v, [--version], [--no-version]  # Show Rails version number and quit

Description:
    The 'rails new' command creates a new Rails application with a default
    directory structure and configuration at the path you specify.

    You can specify extra command-line arguments to be used every time
    'rails new' runs in the .railsrc configuration file in your home directory.

    Note that the arguments specified in the .railsrc file don't affect the
    defaults values shown above in this help message.

Example:
    rails new ~/Code/Ruby/weblog

    This generates a skeletal Rails installation in ~/Code/Ruby/weblog.
    See the README in the newly created application to get going.

Answer 1

Change your current directory to the project directory and execute the rails server command.

example:

$rails new demo_app
$cd demo_app
$rails s

rails server command will start the server if you are inside a rails project directory. When you execute rails new demo_app it creates a directory called demo_app , which contains your new rails project. In your case rails server did not work because you are not inside demo_app directory.

Answer 2

make sure your bin folder isn't empty..you might need to run this if it is

rake rails:update:bin

Answer 3

You are not in the rails app directory.

As you already have a project then go to its directory.

To change directory do:

cd path/to/project/rails_project_name

Answer 4

To setup the server to view the page in a browser, you need to be in rails project directory. So just change directory to your project directory you just have created, using cd command as

cd path_of_rails_project

and now use rails server

for details, you can refer http://guides.rubyonrails.org/getting_started.html

Answer 5

You can not start the Rails server unless you're in your project directory.

Suppose if you're working on myapp project. You've to move to that project directory on your command line and then run the Rails server.

Example: Assuming you didn't create the Rails app yet:

$> rails new myapp
$> cd myapp

Now start the Rails server with either of these two commands:

$> rails server

or:

$> rails s

Answer 6

Assuming you have tried running this command in side the rails application directory, have you checked that your Rails application directory includes the /bin folder? If this is gone you will not be able to run common rails commands.

I ran into this problem and ended up creating a new rails application and copying the bin folder over to restore functionality.