# IRB not finding "rubygems" **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [June 24, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327 "2008-06-24T18:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bhutchins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327/1 "2008-06-24T18:30:03Z")
This an odd one. require ‘rubygems’ works in my scripts . . . but if I go to IRB to test some ‘rspec’ stuff. I get: > > require ‘rubygems’ > > =\> false Tried including the whole path, but that did not work either any ideas why scripts being run don’t have a problem requiring rubygems but IRB does? OSX 10.5.3 Ruby 1.8.6 Model Name: MacBook Pro 15" Model Identifier: MacBookPro1,1 Processor Name: Intel Core Duo Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz Number Of Processors: 1 Total Number Of Cores: 2 L2 Cache: 2 MB Memory: 2 GB ---
**Author:** ![bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bhutchins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327/2 "2008-06-24T18:40:11Z")
On Tuesday 24 June 2008, Brad Hutchins wrote: > Processor Name: Intel Core Duo > Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz > Number Of Processors: 1 > Total Number Of Cores: 2 > L2 Cache: 2 MB > Memory: 2 GB The value returned by require doesn’t tell whether there was an error or not (if the file can’t be found, a LoadError exception will be raised). Rather, since require tries to avoid loading a file more than one time, it says whether you required the file for the first time (true) or if it had already been loaded (in this case returns false and doesn’t try to load the file again). So, the fact that in irb require ‘rubygems’ returns false only means that the file rubygems.rb had already been loaded, and it wasn’t necessary to load it a second time. Stefano ---
**Author:** ![bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bhutchins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327/3 "2008-06-24T18:42:32Z")
El Martes, 24 de Junio de 2008, Brad Hutchins escribió: > > > require ‘rubygems’ > > > =\> false When you get “false” it means that library was **already** loaded. Example: ~$ irb irb(main):001:0\> require ‘time’ =\> true irb(main):002:0\> require ‘time’ =\> false If the library doesn’t exist in the configured path you would get an error: irb(main):001:0\> require ‘non\_existing\_library’ LoadError: no such file to load – non\_existing\_library from (irb):1:in `require’ from (irb):1 from :0 ---
**Author:** ![bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bhutchins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327/4 "2008-06-24T18:59:20Z")
Stefano C. wrote: > On Tuesday 24 June 2008, Brad Hutchins wrote: > > > Processor Name: Intel Core Duo > > Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz > > Number Of Processors: 1 > > Total Number Of Cores: 2 > > L2 Cache: 2 MB > > Memory: 2 GB > > The value returned by require doesn’t tell whether there was an error or > not > (if the file can’t be found, a LoadError exception will be raised). > Rather, > since require tries to avoid loading a file more than one time, it says > whether you required the file for the first time (true) or if it had > already > been loaded (in this case returns false and doesn’t try to load the file > again). So, the fact that in irb > > require ‘rubygems’ > > returns false only means that the file rubygems.rb had already been > loaded, > and it wasn’t necessary to load it a second time. > > Stefano Hmmm . . . then I have a different problem. on to requiring rspec Bulk updating Gem source index for: [http://gems.rubyforge.org](http://gems.rubyforge.org) Updating metadata for 13 gems from [http://gems.rubyonrails.org](http://gems.rubyonrails.org) … complete Successfully installed rspec-1.1.4 1 gem installed Installing ri documentation for rspec-1.1.4… Installing RDoc documentation for rspec-1.1.4… macbook-pro-15:~ $ irb > > require ‘rspec’ LoadError: no such file to load – rspec from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `gem_original_require' from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in `require’ from (irb):1 > > And this is the second time I have unistalled and re-installed rspec. Tested other GEMs . . . > > require ‘snmp’ > > true ---
**Author:** ![bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/f1d935/32.png) [@bhutchins](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bhutchins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/irb-not-finding-rubygems/141327/5 "2008-06-24T20:26:51Z")
On Tuesday 24 June 2008, Brad Hutchins wrote: > > not > > returns false only means that the file rubygems.rb had already been > > Updating metadata for 13 gems from [http://gems.rubyonrails.org](http://gems.rubyonrails.org) > > LoadError: no such file to load – rspec > > from > > /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rub > > ygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `gem_original_require' from /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rub ygems/custom_require.rb:27:in `require’ > > from (irb):1 That’s because rspec doesn’t provide a rspec.rb file but a spec.rb file. So require ‘spec’ should work. Stefano