# Gem install problem on os x

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-problem-on-os-x/115074>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [September 20, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-problem-on-os-x/115074 "2007-09-20T11:38:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brianspaid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@brianspaid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/brianspaid)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-problem-on-os-x/115074/1 "2007-09-20T11:38:41Z")

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I just got a mac monday and am trying to install ruby-debug, however,  
when I do it fails and gives me an error. Its happened with a few  
other gems too. I type “sudo gem install ruby-debug” and I get the  
following:  
Install required dependency ruby-debug-base? [Yn] y  
Select which gem to install for your platform (universal-darwin8.0)

1. ruby-debug-base 0.9.3 (ruby)
2. ruby-debug-base 0.9.3 (mswin32)
3. Skip this gem
4. Cancel installation

> 1  
> Building native extensions. This could take a while…  
> ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::Installer::ExtensionBuildError)  
> ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

ruby extconf.rb install ruby-debug  
creating Makefile

make  
sh: line 1: make: command not found

Gem files will remain installed in /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/  
ruby-debug-base-0.9.3 for inspection.  
Results logged to /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/ruby-debug-  
base-0.9.3/ext/gem\_make.out

Any ideas?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brianspaid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@brianspaid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/brianspaid)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-install-problem-on-os-x/115074/2 "2008-01-05T18:45:05Z")

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Exact same problem here.

Is there a solution without having to install “make”?