# Failure trying 'gem contents'...?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failure-trying-gem-contents/137523>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 13, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failure-trying-gem-contents/137523 "2008-05-13T23:08:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Xeno\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/958977/32.png) [@Xeno\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Xeno_C)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failure-trying-gem-contents/137523/1 "2008-05-13T23:08:10Z")

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root@rhaprpt:~# gem contents  
ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::CommandLineError)  
Please specify a gem name on the command line (e.g. gem build  
GEMNAME)  
root@rhaprpt:~#

Am I just missing something obvious here, or is this broken?

xc

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Xeno\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/958977/32.png) [@Xeno\_C](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Xeno_C)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/failure-trying-gem-contents/137523/2 "2008-05-14T09:20:20Z")

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On May 13, 2008, at 14:06 , Xeno C. wrote:

> root@rhaprpt:~# gem contents  
> ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::CommandLineError)  
> Please specify a gem name on the command line (e.g. gem build  
> GEMNAME)  
> root@rhaprpt:~#
> 
> Am I just missing something obvious here, or is this broken?

??? the error message is pretty clear. if you want to see the contents  
of a gem you have to name it.

otherwise: `gem help` or `gem help commands`