# HOWTO install a download gem from a local directory

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-install-a-download-gem-from-a-local-directory/196852>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 30, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-install-a-download-gem-from-a-local-directory/196852 "2008-11-30T10:25:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tdub](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/f9ae1b/32.png) [@tdub](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tdub)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-install-a-download-gem-from-a-local-directory/196852/1 "2008-11-30T10:25:56Z")

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Aloha All,

I have downloaded many gems in .gem and .tar format from Rubyforge to  
my dir /usr/local/src/gems/. However, I got the following error below  
when executing “gem install mongrel-1.1.5.gem” or any other gems from  
the dir above.

“ERROR: could not find gem mongrel-1.1.5.gem locally or in a  
repository”

I’ve notice that within the .gem folder there are two files  
(data.tar.gz and metadata.gz). Hope that helps.

Here is my system layout:  
Mac OS 10.5.5 client stock  
Dir: /usr/local/  
/usr/local/src/gems/all\_the\_download\_gems  
Installed: Ruby (1.8.7-p72) and Rubygems (1.3.1) to /usr/local/

Please help or point me in the right direction on HOWTO install a  
download gem from a local directory.

Much mahalo in advance. -Tdub

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tdub](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/f9ae1b/32.png) [@tdub](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tdub)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/howto-install-a-download-gem-from-a-local-directory/196852/2 "2008-11-30T10:27:07Z")

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On Nov 30, 3:26 am, tdub [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Aloha All,
> 
> I have downloaded many gems in .gem and .tar format from Rubyforge to  
> my dir /usr/local/src/gems/. However, I got the following error below  
> when executing “gem install mongrel-1.1.5.gem” or any other gems from  
> the dir above.

Don’t download them to /usr/local/src/gems.  
Download them to somewhere like your home folder or the desktop and  
then run  
gem install path/to/the/file.gem

Fred