# Can not install RubyGems (uninitialized constant YAML::Syck::DefaultLoader (NameError))

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-not-install-rubygems-uninitialized-constant-yaml-defaultloader-nameerror/159672>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 6, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-not-install-rubygems-uninitialized-constant-yaml-defaultloader-nameerror/159672 "2009-02-06T22:07:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-not-install-rubygems-uninitialized-constant-yaml-defaultloader-nameerror/159672/1 "2009-02-06T22:07:26Z")

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Hi,

I think I’ve upset my ruby/gems on my Redhat Linux box (I did an  
apt-get install ruby-libs). So I’ve installed again Ruby from source  
(did get some warnings - see previous post), and then tried to install  
RubyGem however I get the following error. Any ideas? Anything else  
I can post to help?

[root@home rubygems-1.3.1]# ruby ./setup.rb  
/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:14: uninitialized constant  
YAML::Syck::DefaultLoader (NameError)  
from ./lib/rubygems/config\_file.rb:7:in `require' from ./lib/rubygems/config_file.rb:7 from ./lib/rubygems.rb:882:in`require’  
from ./lib/rubygems.rb:882  
from ./setup.rb:22:in `require’  
from ./setup.rb:22

Some addition config info:  
[root@home ~]#  
[root@home ~]# ruby -v  
ruby 1.8.7 (2008-08-11 patchlevel 72) [i686-linux]  
[root@home ~]# which ruby  
/usr/local/bin/ruby  
[root@home ~]# which gem  
/usr/bin/gem  
[root@home ~]# gem -v  
/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/yaml.rb:14: uninitialized constant  
YAML::Syck::DefaultLoader (NameError)  
from  
/usr/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in`require’  
from /usr/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/config\_file.rb:7  
from  
/usr/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in`require’  
from /usr/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/gem\_runner.rb:8  
from  
/usr/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in`require’  
from /usr/bin/gem:9

thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-not-install-rubygems-uninitialized-constant-yaml-defaultloader-nameerror/159672/2 "2009-02-06T22:12:43Z")

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PS. I noted I have a few matches for ‘ruby’. Not sure if this is  
significant re my problem

# find / -name ruby

/usr/local/bin/ruby  
/usr/local/lib/ruby  
/usr/bin/ruby  
/usr/lib/swig1.3/ruby  
/usr/lib/ruby  
/root/source/redmine-0.7/vendor/plugins/coderay-0.7.6.227/lib/coderay/scanners/ruby

# which ruby

/usr/local/bin/ruby

2009/2/7 Greg H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):