# Application Error **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 3, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289 "2006-11-03T16:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/1 "2006-11-03T16:42:49Z")
I think I’m relativly close to getting rails up on my domain but I get this application error if I try to run the page. Application error Rails application failed to start properly" At first it was a disptath.cgi error I fixed that by changing the attibutes, but now I get this, why may it be happening? Ryan. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/2 "2006-11-03T19:55:25Z")
This can be many things. Database connectivity, configuration errors, etc. Check your logs for any indication of what’s going on. c. Ryan Edwards-Crewe wrote: > I think I’m relativly close to getting rails up on my domain but I get > this application error if I try to run the page. > > Application error > Rails application failed to start properly" > > At first it was a disptath.cgi error I fixed that by changing the > attibutes, but now I get this, why may it be happening? > > Ryan. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/3 "2006-11-03T21:23:08Z")
When this happened to me, it took me over an hour to realize it was that the public folder didn’t have the right permissions. Quote from my web host’s help wiki: “8. cd into your railsapp directory and do chmod -R u+rwX,go-w public log to set the correct permissions. The public directory and dispatch.fcgi must not be world-writable (or group-writable, just in case), and the log directory must be writable so that log and crash files can be generated.” My web host is dreamhost, but even with other hosts you may find their installation guide helpful for installing ruby apps. It’s available at [http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/Ruby\_on\_Rails#QuickStart\_Guide\_12-01-05](http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/Ruby_on_Rails#QuickStart_Guide_12-01-05) ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/4 "2006-11-07T10:58:41Z")
In my experience, it’s a problem with the dispatch file. Does it have the correct permissions to execute, and does it point to the proper location on the first line #!/bin/ruby or wherever your distro stores it? Also, I’ve had problems with log files not having permissions so the app can write them. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/5 "2006-11-07T10:58:42Z")
> it? Also, I’ve had problems with log files not having permissions so the > app can write them. Good point there…forgot about that one. It has bitten me a few times. – Andrew S. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/6 "2006-11-07T10:58:40Z")
Check the shebang line in the dispatch.cgi (.fcgi) and make sure it points to the correct location. A common location is #!/usr/local/bin/ruby This will give you the “failed to start…” error. If you’re running linux can do “which ruby” on the command line to get the location. ## good luck, andy Andrew S. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Ryan\_Edwards-Crewe](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ryan_Edwards-Crewe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/application-error/74289/7 "2006-11-07T10:59:25Z")
also try running dispatch.(f)cgi from the command prompt … As Cayce wrote, you need more symptoms to debug this problem. J