How to get past the `require’: no such file to load — mkmf (LoadError) when installing the “mysql” gem

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Google Query: extconf.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load — mkmf (LoadError)

After some of my readers tried my tutorial on “How to install ruby on rails in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.10)” they ran into some trouble installing the “mysql” gem. I finally found the answer after some Googling at Mentalized.net. The summary is below.

“mkmf.rb” is part of the “ruby1.8-dev” package. Since I already had this package installed on my system, I was not experiencing the error. I installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) in VMware and sure enough, I encountered the error when installing the “mysql” gem.

-You need to install the “ruby1.8-dev” package by typing the following in the Terminal:
sudo apt-get install ruby1.8-dev

-You should be able to go ahead and install the “mysql” gem now by typing the following in the Terminal:
sudo gem install mysql

I apologize if you were getting that error when you followed my previous tutorial. The tutorial has been updated with this information. Happy Coding!

Technorati Tags: Ubuntu, Ruby on Rails

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