# How to get SQLite3, Cygwin and Rails to work together

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 18, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758 "2006-10-18T18:03:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chrislo)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758/1 "2006-10-18T18:03:18Z")

</div>

I struggled for a while to get sqlite3 to work together well with Ruby  
and Ruby on Rails under Cygwin. I eventually figured it out, here is the  
procedure to save others some time :

This procedure concerns the following software versions:

ruby 1.8.5 (2006-08-25) [i386-cygwin]  
sqlite version 3.3.8  
sqlite3-ruby (1.1.0) (Ruby gem)  
rails (1.1.6) (Ruby gem)

Install Cygwin and Rails as described on this page:

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/RailsonWindowsCygwin](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/RailsonWindowsCygwin)

Then, download the sqlite3 sources from the SQLite download page  
([SQLite Download Page](http://www.sqlite.org/download.html)). I compiled the 3.3.8 version from  
the source tarball.

wget [http://www.sqlite.org/sqlite-3\_3\_8.zip](http://www.sqlite.org/sqlite-3_3_8.zip)

Extract the tarball and read the README for compilation instructions.  
You will need to install GCC and Make using the Cygwin installer.

After compilation you will have sqlite3.exe. You will also need to build  
the .dll. In the sqlite source directory type

make sqlite3.dll

The copy the .dll and the .exe to somewhere on your path, eg:

cp sqlite3.exe sqlite3.dll ~/bin

Now install the sqlite3-ruby gem (choosing the latest mswin32 version)

gem install sqlite3-ruby

You have to make a change to this file

c:/cygwin/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/   
sqlite3-ruby-1.1.0-mswin32/lib/sqlite3/driver/dl/

So that it reads

when /win32/, /i386-cygwin/  
“sqlite3.dll”

And you should be able to specify sqlite3 as the database in your  
database.yml, for example :

development:  
adapter: sqlite3  
database: db/residence\_development.db

Any updates, corrections etc. please let me know, and I’ll add them to  
[http://chrislowis.co.uk/rails.html](http://chrislowis.co.uk/rails.html)

Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chrislo)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758/2 "2006-10-18T18:39:49Z")

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Thank you, Chris! Excellent stuff. It would be super to have this on  
the  
wiki.

Best regards,  
Bill

----- Original Message -----  
From: “Chris L.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
To: [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11:03 AM  
Subject: [Rails] How to get SQLite3, Cygwin and Rails to work together

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chrislo)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758/3 "2006-10-18T19:05:36Z")

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Bill W. wrote:

> Thank you, Chris! Excellent stuff. It would be super to have this on  
> the wiki.

I’m happy to add it there. Shall I create a new page linked from the  
Rails/Cygwin page ?

Chris

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chrislo)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758/4 "2006-10-19T12:43:02Z")

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Bill W. wrote:

> Thank you, Chris! Excellent stuff. It would be  
> super to have this on the wiki.

Done !

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/RailsOnWindowsCygwinWithSQLite3](http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/RailsOnWindowsCygwinWithSQLite3)

I’ve linked to it from :

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/RailsonWindowsCygwin](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/RailsonWindowsCygwin)

Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrislo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chrislo)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-get-sqlite3-cygwin-and-rails-to-work-together/72758/5 "2006-10-18T21:27:02Z")

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Chris L. wrote:

> Bill W. wrote:
> 
> > Thank you, Chris! Excellent stuff. It would be  
> > super to have this on the wiki.
> 
> I’m happy to add it there. Shall I create a new page  
> linked from the Rails/Cygwin page ?

Not sure exactly where you’re talking about. I was thinking somewhere  
in  
the HowTo section.

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails)

Maybe in the installation section.

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtosInstallation](http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtosInstallation)

Wherever you decide, Google will find it 😉

Best regards,  
Bill