RVM or Ruby Version Manager allows you to run multiple instances of Ruby within your user space. No need for root or admin privileges with RVM. I stayed away from RVM for sometime, only because I thought working with the systems version of Ruby was enough for me. As I got more involved with Ruby scripting and programming, I found myself needing a more robust installation that did not conflict with the systems version.

These steps are taken from RVM website.

Install RVM

They setup a nice script that you can get directly from GitHub. Run the following from your shell prompt.

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bash -s stable < <(curl -s https://raw.github.com/wayneeseguin/rvm/master/binscripts/rvm-installer)

Setup Your Shell

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rvm install 1.9.2

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rvm use 1.9.2

Updated Rubygems

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rvm rubygems latest

That is about it.