# Gem case sensitive

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-case-sensitive/132526>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [March 21, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-case-sensitive/132526 "2008-03-21T02:25:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![botp](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@botp](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/botp)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-case-sensitive/132526/1 "2008-03-21T02:25:13Z")

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why is it that a gem name has to be case sensitive? isn’t that  
dangerous; ie i can submit gems w similar names differing only in  
cases?

eg,

botp@jedi-hopeful:~$ sudo gem install rubyinline  
ERROR: could not find rubyinline locally or in a repository

botp@jedi-hopeful:~$ sudo gem install RubyInline  
Successfully installed rubyforge-0.4.5  
Successfully installed hoe-1.5.1  
Successfully installed RubyInline-3.6.7  
3 gems installed  
Installing ri documentation for rubyforge-0.4.5…  
Installing ri documentation for hoe-1.5.1…  
Installing ri documentation for RubyInline-3.6.7…

kind regards -botp