# Extconf.rb problems

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/extconf-rb-problems/51737>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 2, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/extconf-rb-problems/51737 "2005-12-02T21:21:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ea5d25/32.png) [@draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/draens)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/extconf-rb-problems/51737/1 "2005-12-02T21:21:27Z")

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I am using last ruby installed with the 1-click install, on Windows.

When i use extconf.rb files, I always get errror messages like this  
one:  
checking for deflateReset() in z.lib… no  
checking for deflateReset() in libz.lib… no  
checking for deflateReset() in zlib.lib… no

I tried to install ruby-zlib from  
[http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/ruby-zlib](http://raa.ruby-lang.org/project/ruby-zlib)  
but i have the same problems.

Can someone please help me ? How can I make extconf.rb files work ?  
Any help would be greatly appreciated, since I really would like to use  
ruby but can’t figure how to solve problems like this one.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ea5d25/32.png) [@draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/draens)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/extconf-rb-problems/51737/2 "2005-12-03T14:15:29Z")

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Daniel R wrote:

> but i have the same problems.
> 
> Can someone please help me ? How can I make extconf.rb files work ?  
> Any help would be greatly appreciated, since I really would like to use  
> ruby but can’t figure how to solve problems like this one.

I suppose you have a Windows machine from the library names. I’ll admit  
I have no idea where extconf.rb looks for libraries by default there or  
how it does it. Do you have Zlib somewhere on your computer (e.g. the  
files it’s looking for) at all, by the way?

When trying to compile extensions, you might want to use the mingw32  
version of ruby instead of the mswin32 one the one-click-installer uses.  
Mingw and MSYS work a quite bit more automagically than a VC++ one, that  
is, unless you bought or otherwise came to own Visual Studio.

And just by the way, the one-click-installer comes Ruby 1.8, which has a  
working Zlib in the standard library - notice the RAA page mentioning  
the standalone module is deprecated.

David V.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ea5d25/32.png) [@draens](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/draens)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/extconf-rb-problems/51737/3 "2005-12-03T18:13:12Z")

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There is something wrong with your installation. The O.-Click Ruby  
Installer comes with ZLib already installed, so you shouldn’t be having  
this  
problem.

Try this:

- Uninstall Ruby

- make sure that the directory you have ruby installed in is completely  
deleted.

- Make sure your path does _not_ contain ruby\bin and that the RUBYOPT  
environment variable does not exist (unless you’ve set it yourself)

- Reinstall Ruby.

- Make sure you path _does_ contain ruby\bin and that RUBYOPT contains  
“rubygems” (reboot and check again if it doesn’t).

The above steps will, at least, ensure that you have a good Ruby  
installation.

Curt