Using on Windows

Using PureBuilder Simply on Windows

On Linux or other Unix-like systems, setting up PureBuilder Simply is usually just a matter of installing the required software.
On Windows, there are a few extra steps — but don’t worry, it’s much simpler than it used to be.

In the past, the setup process was quite complicated. Thanks to improvements in the environment, it’s now much easier.

If you’d prefer to avoid extra steps altogether, you can also use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Inside WSL, installing Pandoc is enough for PureBuilder Simply to recognize it automatically.
This page, however, explains how to use PureBuilder Simply directly on Windows without WSL.

Installing Ruby

First, install Ruby using RubyInstaller.

  • On the Download page, the recommended version will be highlighted.
  • The installer is straightforward: just click Accept and Next until it finishes.
  • If you want to change the installation folder, you can do so during setup.

At the very end, a command prompt window may appear. Don’t worry — just press Enter a few times to complete the process.

PureBuilder Simply doesn’t often change its Ruby version requirements, so once you install the latest Ruby, you’ll likely be able to use it for a long time without upgrading.

Installing PureBuilder Simply

From the Start Menu, open Start Command Prompt with Ruby.

Once it’s open, install PureBuilder Simply along with Kramdown and WEBrick (needed for pbsimply-testserver):

gem install pbsimply kramdown webrick

That’s it — you’re ready to go!

Create a new folder for your project and move into it with:

mkdir MyProject
cd MyProject

Then initialize PureBuilder Simply:

pbsimply-init

When you launch Start Command Prompt with Ruby, it also enables MSYS2, so you can use basic Unix-style commands like ls and cd.

Using Pandoc

To unlock the full power of PureBuilder Simply, you’ll want to install Pandoc.

The steps are simple:

  1. Click Download the latest installer (this takes you to GitHub).
  2. Download the .msi file.
  3. Run it and follow the wizard.

Pandoc now automatically adds itself to your system PATH, so once installed, PureBuilder Simply can use it right away.

Using Git Bash

If you install Git for Windows, you’ll also get Git Bash, a lightweight Unix-like terminal.

  • From File Explorer, you can right-click a folder and choose Git Bash Here to open it directly in that location.
  • Many users find Git Bash more convenient than the standard cmd.exe, especially when working with PureBuilder Simply.

Once installed, Git Bash will automatically recognize Ruby and PureBuilder Simply, so you can use them seamlessly.