I see that Ruby is a big success when it comes to web programming. However, for desktop applictions and scripts, I do not see it being heavily used. In fact, in most of the Linux distros, it does not come installed by default. Most applications are coded in Python and some are in Perl. What advantages can Ruby offer over Python when it comes to desktop applications and scrips? If i am writing one Linux application, say a music player, how Ruby blocks and metaprogramming techniques can help?
Edit:
I see that some have opted for close this question because it can escalate into a Language war, perhaps. Fear not, I am a day-time Python programmer. I am trying to reconcile these seemingly incompatible observations. It is fact that most Linux distros do not come with a ruby installed. It is also a fact that most Linux apps are coded in Python. And it is also a fact that Ruby has more advanced meta-programming features than Python, which can make development easier. I am wondering why Ruby is not used as much in Linux application development, which has been a playground for scripting languages.
Python has become popular on the Linux side because many distributions have built their various front-end tools using it so it’s guaranteed to be available.
Ruby does have Qt bindings that might be what you’re looking for and it’s possible to write wrappers for any C or C++ library you need to interface with.
In the end it all comes down to finding a suitable example to learn from. You may find that there are far more Python examples to refer to and this may affect your decision.
Both languages are equally capable on the whole and the default distributions are similar in terms of performance. Python’s new PyPy compiler is faster if you don’t mind sticking to Python 2.7, and there’s also Rubinius which is an effort to boost Ruby’s performance.