# How do I solve/debug "gem update" problem?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [January 8, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218 "2009-01-08T16:00:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lraiz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218/1 "2009-01-08T16:00:12Z")

</div>

I used InstantRails 2.0 to install RoR on Win XP SP3. It brought rails  
2.0.2 and I am having problems updating to rails 2.2.2

After initial installation I run “gem update—system” w/o a problem.  
However the subsequent “gem update rails” results in

ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::InstallError) rails requires  
activesupport (= 2.2.2, runtime)

Trying to manually update activesupport by “gem update activesupport”  
results in

ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::GemNotFoundException) could not  
find gem activesupport locally or in a repository

Other variations (“gem install rails—version 2.2.2”, “gem install  
activesupport”, etc.) produce same errors.

A few more data points that may be helpful  
“gem -v” returns 1.3.1.  
“gem sources” outputs “[http://gems.rubyforge.org/”](http://gems.rubyforge.org/%E2%80%9D) and  
“gem list—remote” output does include “activesupport (2.2.2)”

Any suggestions on how to resolve or at least debug the issue? I am a  
relative novice and am lost.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lraiz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218/2 "2009-01-08T17:09:47Z")

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What does ‘gem list --local’ return?  
I presume you are doing this with administrative rights?  
Martin

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lraiz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218/3 "2009-01-08T17:13:20Z")

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Here is the output of “gem list --local”

\*\*\* LOCAL GEMS \*\*\*

actionmailer (2.0.2)  
actionpack (2.0.2)  
activerecord (2.0.2)  
activeresource (2.0.2)  
activesupport (2.0.2)  
capistrano (2.1.0)  
cgi\_multipart\_eof\_fix (2.5.0)  
cmdparse (2.0.2)  
fxri (0.3.6)  
fxruby (1.6.12)  
gem\_plugin (0.2.3)  
highline (1.4.0)  
hpricot (0.6)  
log4r (1.0.5)  
mongrel (1.1.2)  
mysql (2.7.3)  
needle (1.3.0)  
net-sftp (1.1.0)  
net-ssh (1.1.2)  
rails (2.0.2)  
rake (0.8.3)  
rubygems-update (1.3.1)  
sources (0.0.1)  
sqlite3-ruby (1.2.1)  
win32-api (1.0.4)  
win32-clipboard (0.4.3)  
win32-dir (0.3.2)  
win32-eventlog (0.4.6)  
win32-file (0.5.4)  
win32-file-stat (1.2.7)  
win32-process (0.5.3)  
win32-sapi (0.1.4)  
win32-sound (0.4.1)  
windows-api (0.2.0)  
windows-pr (0.7.2)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lraiz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218/4 "2009-01-08T17:46:14Z")

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I’ve had problems with upgrading gem in the past but they have  
involved gem itself and not running it once installed.  
Have a look at [http://rubyforge.org/forum/forum.php?forum\_id=28071](http://rubyforge.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=28071) and  
try re-installing.

Does ‘gem env’ give you anything out of the ordinary?  
Martin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@lraiz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lraiz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-solve-debug-gem-update-problem/157218/5 "2009-01-08T19:58:42Z")

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I am not sure what to look for in the output of “gem env” but here it  
is  
RubyGems Environment:

- RUBYGEMS VERSION: 1.3.1
- RUBY VERSION: 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [i386-mswin32]
- INSTALLATION DIRECTORY: C:/InstantRails2.0/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8
- RUBY EXECUTABLE: C:/InstantRails2.0/ruby/bin/ruby.exe
- EXECUTABLE DIRECTORY: C:/InstantRails2.0/ruby/bin
- RUBYGEMS PLATFORMS:
  - ruby
  - x86-mswin32-60

- GEM PATHS:
  - C:/InstantRails2.0/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8
  - C:/Documents and Settings/Leonid/.gem/ruby/1.8

- GEM CONFIGURATION:
  - :update\_sources =\> true
  - :verbose =\> true
  - :benchmark =\> false
  - :backtrace =\> false
  - :bulk\_threshold =\> 1000

- REMOTE SOURCES:
  - [http://gems.rubyforge.org/](http://gems.rubyforge.org/)

The only thing that appears a bit strange is the second line in GEM  
PATHS because it points to my documents folder while I expected RoR  
installation to be entirely self contained under C:/InstantRails2.0. I  
have already tried deleting everything (is that the right way to  
uninstall RoR?) and unzipped everything again from  
InstantRails-2.0.zip. Then I run “gem update --system” again and it  
upgraded rubygems to 1.3.1. I also observed that this gem update  
command added the second path to GEM PATHS (is it OK?). Now I am back  
hitting the same wall; still can not update rails and at a loss.

Thanks for trying to help,

- LR