Rails: Install on an external web server?

[Greg the dogsitter]

First off, I'm not sure if "external server" is the correct term. I'm referring to a web server as in, I pay GoofyHosting $10/month for a shared web space on one of their machines.

Can I install Rails on such a web server? I'd somehow need command-line access, right? (SSH? Telnet??) Or is this something that's really only possible on a dedicated or local machine?

Thanks!

GtDS