# \`\<top (required)\>': undefined method \`default\_external=' for Encoding:Class (NoMethodError)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/top-required-undefined-method-default-external-for-encoding-class-nomethoderror/184088>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 24, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/top-required-undefined-method-default-external-for-encoding-class-nomethoderror/184088 "2010-02-24T21:40:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivoryivy)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/top-required-undefined-method-default-external-for-encoding-class-nomethoderror/184088/1 "2010-02-24T21:40:37Z")

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Why would I be getting these errors when running any of the commands  
in rails (rails console/rake/etc)?

$ rails server  
/var/lib/gems/1.9.0/gems/railties-3.0.0.beta/lib/rails.rb:25:in `<top (required)>': undefined method`default\_external=’ for Encoding:Class  
(NoMethodError)  
from /var/lib/gems/1.9.0/gems/railties-3.0.0.beta/lib/rails/all.rb:  
1:in `require' from /var/lib/gems/1.9.0/gems/railties-3.0.0.beta/lib/rails/all.rb: 1:in`\<top (required)\>’  
from /home/emily/Work/echantillons/config/application.rb:3:in  
`require' from /home/emily/Work/echantillons/config/application.rb:3:in`\<top  
(required)\>’  
from /var/lib/gems/1.9.0/gems/railties-3.0.0.beta/lib/rails/  
commands.rb:36:in `require' from /var/lib/gems/1.9.0/gems/railties-3.0.0.beta/lib/rails/ commands.rb:36:in`\<top (required)\>’  
from /home/emily/Work/echantillons/script/rails:10:in `require' from /home/emily/Work/echantillons/script/rails:10:in`’

---

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**Author:** ![ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivoryivy)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/top-required-undefined-method-default-external-for-encoding-class-nomethoderror/184088/2 "2010-02-24T21:42:57Z")

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On Feb 24, 5:20 pm, ivoryivy [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Why would I be getting these errors when running any of the commands  
> in rails (rails console/rake/etc)?

Looks like you are running ruby 1.9.0, 1.9.0 was a somewhat unstable  
development release of ruby. The first production ready release of the  
1.9 series was 1.9.1 and you should be using that if you want to run  
ruby 1.9

Fred

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@ivoryivy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivoryivy)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/top-required-undefined-method-default-external-for-encoding-class-nomethoderror/184088/3 "2010-02-25T18:00:22Z")

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I got everything to work in downgrading to Rails 2.3.5 (using beta  
means there isn’t much documentation out there and it was quite  
inconvenient) and upgrading to Ruby 1.9.1. Thanks!

On Feb 24, 9:41 pm, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)