# Gem update --system not updating

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-update-system-not-updating/171571>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 5, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-update-system-not-updating/171571 "2009-07-05T22:43:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marcusj2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@marcusj2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marcusj2)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-update-system-not-updating/171571/1 "2009-07-05T22:43:06Z")

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Yes, I’m a nubie. Trying to learn ruby and rails and have a very  
frustrating problem.

Running Ubuntu 8.0.4  
$ ruby -v  
ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [x86\_64-linux]  
$ gem -v  
1.2.0  
$ rails -v  
Rails 2.3.2

I create a dir called tickets, traverse to that dir and run the  
following command:  
$ ruby scripts/server  
Rails requires RubyGems \>= 1.3.1 (you have 1.2.0). Please `gem update --system` and try again.

OK, so I run the gem update command as instructed…  
$ gem update --system  
Updating RubyGems  
Nothing to update  
$  
So what is the problem. How can a I force this thing to update to gems  
1.3.1?

Hep much appreciated

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marcusj2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@marcusj2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marcusj2)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gem-update-system-not-updating/171571/2 "2009-07-05T22:43:41Z")

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On Jul 5, 2:39 pm, marcusj2 [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> OK, so I run the gem update command as instructed…  
> $ gem update --system  
> Updating RubyGems  
> Nothing to update  
> $  
> So what is the problem. How can a I force this thing to update to gems  
> 1.3.1?

There was a bug in rubygems 1.2 & 1.1 that meant it was unable to self  
update in some cases. See  
[http://blog.segment7.net/articles/2008/11/13/rubygems-1-3-1](http://blog.segment7.net/articles/2008/11/13/rubygems-1-3-1)

Fred