# Installing Ruby and Rails on Ubuntu

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 24, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031 "2005-12-24T04:05:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/1 "2005-12-24T04:05:00Z")

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I’ve been following the instructions at:

[http://claudio.cicali.org/article/74/how-to-install-ruby-on-rails-on-ubuntu-510](http://claudio.cicali.org/article/74/how-to-install-ruby-on-rails-on-ubuntu-510)

but unfortunately it fails during step 5.

When I attempt to run:

ruby extconf.rb

I get an error indicating it can’t find the mkmf

extconf.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – mkmf (LoadError)  
from extconf.rb:1

Any thoughts?

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**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/2 "2005-12-24T04:11:01Z")

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On Sat, Dec 24, 2005 at 12:04:20PM +0900, Mark wrote:

> I get an error indicating it can’t find the mkmf
> 
> extconf.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – mkmf (LoadError)  
> from extconf.rb:1
> 
> Any thoughts?

You will get the best and most timely Rails support on the Rails list:  
[http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails)

Debian splits up Ruby’s standard library into some 34 packages which are  
not  
installed by default. You need the mkmf library. Probably something like  
libmkmf-ruby1.8.

You can get pointers on how to install all of Ruby from here:  
[http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/RailsOnUbuntuDebianTestingAndUnstable](http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/RailsOnUbuntuDebianTestingAndUnstable)

marcel

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/3 "2005-12-24T11:26:28Z")

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Mark wrote:

> I get an error indicating it can’t find the mkmf
> 
> extconf.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – mkmf (LoadError)  
> from extconf.rb:1
> 
> Any thoughts?

You have to install the ruby1.8-dev package.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/4 "2005-12-24T16:33:04Z")

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Thank you! I asked here, rather than rails, because I hadn’t even  
really  
gotten to the rails step yet.

I had totally forgotten about the Debian ruby issues and also the fact  
that  
Ubuntu is a Debian derivative.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/5 "2005-12-24T19:39:28Z")

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Mark wrote:

> I get an error indicating it can’t find the mkmf
> 
> extconf.rb:1:in `require’: no such file to load – mkmf (LoadError)  
> from extconf.rb:1
> 
> Any thoughts?

apt-get install rails

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@mark](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mark)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/installing-ruby-and-rails-on-ubuntu/51031/6 "2005-12-24T22:40:15Z")

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I’ve gotten a lot farther with the instructions at this URL

[http://fo64.com/articles/2005/10/20/rails-on-breezy](http://fo64.com/articles/2005/10/20/rails-on-breezy)

Everything seems to be installed, but apparantly Apache isn’t wired up  
right  
because it is browsing directories and trying to load the URL for the  
controller returns a 404.

Note, I’ve been succesful with Rails on Windows I’m just forcing myself  
to  
learn Linux.

- mark