Windows Ruby Options

I'm looking at learning ruby/rails/git for a full-time job I'm a candidate for. Windows seems to be very much a second class citizen in all of these worlds. Git at least has MSYS git readily available and well maintained. Ruby is another story.

The 1.9 version of ruby, I'm assuming is used by the company, was released in late 07 and now, midway through 09, there is no `one click installer` available.

You can download a 1.9 binary zip at patch level 0 ( the latest is in the high two hundreds ) but it is missing crucial dlls such as zlib and readline.

What's a windoze fool to do? I'm familiar with linux, mostly ubuntu/debian but a lot more productive in a patched up windows. I use replacement windows managers, independent virtual desktop managers for each monitor, a replacement for explorer etc

I have tried setting up a similar environment using linux before but my crappy video card wouldn't allow virtual desktop sets per monitor. Changing environments *and* languages at the same time wouldn't be that smart.

Probably the best would be to try ( in order ):

• Find native windows versions of 1.9
• Set up a VM running ubuntu and file-sharing/ssh
• Run linux natively
• Run a mac

I have played with ruby under cygwin in the past and it was retarded slow so that is not really an option.