# Problem with Gem **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [October 3, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169 "2007-10-03T04:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/1 "2007-10-03T04:42:21Z")
I am trying to install support for SQLite using Gem but I get this error "Building native extensions. This could take a while… ERROR: While executing gem … (Gem::Installer::ExtensionBuildError) ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension. ruby extconf.rb install sqlite3-ruby can’t find header files for ruby." I do have ruby.h installed on my system but gem can not seem to find it. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/2 "2007-10-03T17:03:26Z")
On Oct 2, 2007, at 19:42 , David Siebert wrote: > Any suggestions? > What does this say: ruby -rrbconfig -e ‘puts File.join(Config::CONFIG[“rubylibdir”], Config::CONFIG[“arch”], “ruby.h”)’ ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/3 "2007-10-12T17:35:17Z")
> > > Any suggestions? > > > > What does this say: > > > > ruby -rrbconfig -e ‘puts File.join(Config::CONFIG[“rubylibdir”], > > Config::CONFIG[“arch”], “ruby.h”)’ > I have the same problem while installing fxruby > gem install fxruby gem needs to be more idiot-friendly. I do not wake up a genius. I become one over the course of several cups of coffee, on days when I’m lucky. – Giles B. Blog: [http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com) Portfolio: [http://www.gilesgoatboy.org](http://www.gilesgoatboy.org) Tumblelog: [http://giles.tumblr.com/](http://giles.tumblr.com/) ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/4 "2007-10-12T10:01:52Z")
On Oct 3, 6:02 pm, Eric H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > I do have ruby.h installed on my system but gem can not seem to > > best workers get their tools to do the work for them. – Syndicate Wars > > it says /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/i386-linux/ruby.h > > I have the same problem while installing fxruby > > gem install fxruby > > regards ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/5 "2007-10-12T18:04:36Z")
On Oct 12, 2007, at 08:31 , Giles B. wrote: > gem needs to be more idiot-friendly. I do not wake up a genius. I > become one over the course of several cups of coffee, on days when I’m > lucky. If you have something constructive to contribute, please do so. If you have found a bug, please file it in the tracker. Empty statements of frustration do not help me make RubyGems better. ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/6 "2007-10-12T18:45:06Z")
On Oct 12, 2007, at 01:00 , degreane wrote: > > > can’t find header files for ruby." > > > I have the same problem while installing fxruby > > > gem install fxruby Do you have that file? What other .h files exist in /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/i386-linux? Can you attach gem\_make.out? ---
**Author:** ![davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidstokar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/davidstokar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-gem/116169/7 "2007-10-12T19:23:47Z")
> > gem needs to be more idiot-friendly. I do not wake up a genius. I > > become one over the course of several cups of coffee, on days when I’m > > lucky. > > If you have something constructive to contribute, please do so. I did. I sent Chad & Jim a patch that allows you to require symbols and arrays. It was nifty. Admittedly, though, that doesn’t help here at all. My bad. > If you have found a bug, please file it in the tracker. > > Empty statements of frustration do not help me make RubyGems better. OK, ok. – Giles B. Blog: [http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com) Portfolio: [http://www.gilesgoatboy.org](http://www.gilesgoatboy.org) Tumblelog: [http://giles.tumblr.com/](http://giles.tumblr.com/)