# Please help - configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/please-help-configure-error-no-acceptable-c-compiler-found-in-path/173737>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 14, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/please-help-configure-error-no-acceptable-c-compiler-found-in-path/173737 "2009-08-14T00:05:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![craigrails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@craigrails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/craigrails)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/please-help-configure-error-no-acceptable-c-compiler-found-in-path/173737/1 "2009-08-14T00:05:49Z")

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Hello,

I run macosx - leopard, which ships with ruby 1.8.6.  
I noticed there is now ruby 1.8.7 so I tried to install it.

I downloaded the zip file and opened Terminal.  
once i had 'cd’d to the correct directory, i tried to do ./configure  
as the README file suggested. this threw out the configure: error: no  
acceptable C compiler found in $PATH error message,

I cannot get past this point now, so am not sure what to do now. I  
still have 1.8.6 installed as standard, but cant get past this,

Any idea?

I’m new to ruby, and only know a few unix commands, so any help would  
be appreciated (ideally step by step as this is very new to me!!)

Many Thanks for reading!  
Craig

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![craigrails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@craigrails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/craigrails)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/please-help-configure-error-no-acceptable-c-compiler-found-in-path/173737/2 "2009-08-14T00:08:45Z")

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On Aug 13, 7:48 pm, Craig W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> I cannot get past this point now, so am not sure what to do now. I  
> still have 1.8.6 installed as standard, but cant get past this,
> 
> Any idea?

Did you install the Xcode tools ? (on one of the disks that came with  
your mac). hivelogic has a good tutorial on compiling your own ruby on  
a mac

Fred