# Gem configuration options

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 27, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800 "2008-05-27T21:43:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jon_ASLambert)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800/1 "2008-05-27T21:43:27Z")

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How do you pass configuration options to extconf.rb when installing a  
gem?  
Specifically I’d like to configure ruby-gd.

$ gem install ruby-gd  
??something?? --with-freetype --with-ttf --with-jpeg --enable-gd2\_0

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jon_ASLambert)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800/2 "2008-05-28T00:07:48Z")

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On May 27, 2008, at 12:41 PM, Jon A. Lambert wrote:

> How do you pass configuration options to extconf.rb when installing  
> a gem?  
> Specifically I’d like to configure ruby-gd.
> 
> $ gem install ruby-gd ??something?? --with-freetype --with-ttf –  
> with-jpeg --enable-gd2\_0

gem install ruby-gd – --configure-options

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jon_ASLambert)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800/3 "2008-05-28T00:36:33Z")

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Eric H. wrote:

> 

Is that a new option? I thought it was --build-flags.

~$ gem --version  
1.0.1  
~$ gem help install  
Usage: gem install GEMNAME [GEMNAME …] [options] – --build-flags  
[options]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jon_ASLambert)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800/4 "2008-05-28T05:25:50Z")

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On May 27, 2008, at 15:35 PM, Tim H. wrote:

> Is that a new option? I thought it was --build-flags.
> 
> ~$ gem --version  
> 1.0.1  
> ~$ gem help install  
> Usage: gem install GEMNAME [GEMNAME …] [options] – --build-flags  
> [options]

– tells RubyGems to stop processing options. --configure-options or  
–build-flags are just dummy names for whatever it is you actually  
want to specify.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jon\_ASLambert](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Jon_ASLambert)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-configuration-options/138800/5 "2008-05-28T13:17:07Z")

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Eric H. wrote:

> > 
> 
> to specify.

That makes sense. Thanks.