# Error when trying to install gems

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-when-trying-to-install-gems/205173>\
**Category:** Deployment\
**Created:** [March 31, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-when-trying-to-install-gems/205173 "2011-03-31T04:58:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![luislavena](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@luislavena](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/luislavena)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-when-trying-to-install-gems/205173/1 "2011-03-31T04:58:55Z")

</div>

All:

I hope this is the right forum. I am having issues trying to get gems  
to install. When I try to install a gem I get the following error.

/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require': no such file to load -- zlib (LoadError) from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/package.rb:10  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/format.rb:9  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/installer.rb:11  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/dependency\_installer.rb:3  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/commands/install\_command.rb:4  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:31:in  
`gem_original_require' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:31:in`require’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/command\_manager.rb:167:in  
`load_and_instantiate' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/command_manager.rb:88:in`[]’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/command\_manager.rb:144:in  
`find_command' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/command_manager.rb:131:in`process\_args’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/command\_manager.rb:102:in  
`run' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/gem_runner.rb:58:in`run’  
from /usr/local/bin/gem:21

The thing is I have zlib installed.  
yum list zlib  
Loaded plugins: rhnplugin  
Excluding Packages in global exclude list  
Finished  
Installed Packages  
zlib.i386 1.2.3-3  
installed  
zlib.x86\_64 1.2.3-3  
installed

yum list zlib-devel  
lib-devel.i386 1.2.3-3  
installed  
zlib-devel.x86\_64 1.2.3-3  
installed

Can someone please help me here. I would greatly appreciate it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vnagrani](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vnagrani](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vnagrani)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-when-trying-to-install-gems/205173/2 "2011-04-03T07:53:40Z")

</div>

you have to install zlib ruby extension. what version of ruby are you  
using. if you are using ruby 1.8.7,

1. obtain the source code fo ruby1.8.7,
2. extract the tarball
3. go inside the extracted source directory
4. go inside ext/
5. you will find zlib directory there
6. cd into it and run  
ruby extconf.rb
7. make
8. sudo make install

done.

you will not get that error again.