# Gem install icu4r error

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-icu4r-error/188459>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 12, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-icu4r-error/188459 "2010-05-12T11:21:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Une\_BSSSSvue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Une\_BSSSSvue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Une_BSSSSvue)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-icu4r-error/188459/1 "2010-05-12T11:21:22Z")

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when i try to install the gem icu4r (under Mac OS SL)  
i get :

$ sudo gem install icu4r  
Password:  
Building native extensions. This could take a while…  
ERROR: While executing gem … (TypeError)  
can’t convert Float into String  
can’t convert Float into String (TypeError)

this using ruby 1.9 or marcruby

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Une\_BSSSSvue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Une\_BSSSSvue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Une_BSSSSvue)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-icu4r-error/188459/2 "2010-05-12T12:26:13Z")

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Une Bévue wrote:

> when i try to install the gem icu4r (under Mac OS SL)  
> i get :
> 
> $ sudo gem install icu4r  
> Password:  
> Building native extensions. This could take a while…  
> ERROR: While executing gem … (TypeError)  
> can’t convert Float into String  
> can’t convert Float into String (TypeError)
> 
> this using ruby 1.9 or marcruby

Is this the one you’re trying to port?

$ gem search --remote icu4r

\*\*\* REMOTE GEMS \*\*\*

icu4r (0.1.4.2006.05.29)

That’s very old, I guess it’s not ruby 1.9 compatible. Google “icu4r  
ruby 1.9” turns up icu4r\_19 on github which appears to have been ported.  
No idea about OSX.