# Webrick start error in Ubuntu

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 23, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506 "2008-05-23T20:07:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apicito)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506/1 "2008-05-23T20:07:11Z")

</div>

Hi,

I’m running Ubuntu gutsy and am trying to get RoR running.

I followed the standard step by step installation of all the components  
and all seems to go well until I try to start WEBrick.

Here’s what I’ve done:

1. install ruby from repositories – OK  
ruby -v shows: ruby 1.8.6 (2007-06-07 patchlevel 36) [i486-linux]

2. get gems 1.0.1 and install (ruby setup.rb) – OK  
gem -v shows: 1.0.1

3. install rails with dependencies – OK  
rails -v shows: Rails 2.0.2

gem list  
\*\*\* LOCAL GEMS \*\*\*

actionmailer (2.0.2)  
actionpack (2.0.2)  
activerecord (2.0.2)  
activeresource (2.0.2)  
activesupport (2.0.2)  
rails (2.0.2)  
rake (0.8.1)

gem environment  
RubyGems Environment:

- RUBYGEMS VERSION: 1.0.1 (1.0.1)
- RUBY VERSION: 1.8.6 (2007-06-07 patchlevel 36) [i486-linux]
- INSTALLATION DIRECTORY: /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8
- RUBY EXECUTABLE: /usr/bin/ruby1.8
- RUBYGEMS PLATFORMS:
  - ruby
  - x86-linux

- GEM PATHS:
  - /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8

- GEM CONFIGURATION:
  - :update\_sources =\> true
  - :verbose =\> true
  - :benchmark =\> false
  - :backtrace =\> false
  - :bulk\_threshold =\> 1000

- REMOTE SOURCES:
  - [http://gems.rubyforge.org](http://gems.rubyforge.org)

1. create a new app with rails (rails new\_app) – OK

2. ruby start/server  
=\> Booting WEBrick…  
/usr/local/lib/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
`gem\_original\_require’:  
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.0.2/lib/action\_view/helpers/active\_record\_helper.rb:211:  
syntax error, unexpected $end (SyntaxError)

I’ve looked everywhere for a solution and I hope there’s someone here  
that can help me because I’m out of ideas and places to look.

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apicito)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506/2 "2008-05-23T20:37:40Z")

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Luis Doubrava wrote:

> 1. ruby start/server  
> =\> Booting WEBrick…  
> /usr/local/lib/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
> `gem\_original\_require’:  
> /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.0.2/lib/action\_view/helpers/active\_record\_helper.rb:211:  
> syntax error, unexpected $end (SyntaxError)

That seems to indicate something wrong with ‘active\_record\_helper.rb’,  
which definitely should not be a problem. Seems to me like it must  
have gotten corrupted on the install (for lack of any better guesses).

My suggestion is to ‘gem uninstall’ everything in your list except  
‘rake’ and then re-run the ‘gem install rails’.

–

[http://www.5valleys.com/](http://www.5valleys.com/)

[http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/8078](http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/8078)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apicito)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 11:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506/3 "2008-05-25T11:19:43Z")

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Hi,

I was able to reproduce your problem, it is simply the fact that by  
using “rails my\_app” to create a new app, you are implicitly creating an  
app that expects sqlite to run. I am sure sqlite is not installed on  
your system and thus generates this error.

If you already have mysql installed on your ubuntu box, use “rails  
my\_app -d mysql”, and you will create an app that runs with mysql, and  
it should work. If you want sqlite, then you will have to install it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@apicito](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/apicito)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webrick-start-error-in-ubuntu/138506/4 "2008-05-24T00:59:48Z")

</div>

Thanks for your response,

Jon G. wrote:

> That seems to indicate something wrong with ‘active\_record\_helper.rb’,  
> which definitely should not be a problem. Seems to me like it must  
> have gotten corrupted on the install (for lack of any better guesses).
> 
> My suggestion is to ‘gem uninstall’ everything in your list except  
> ‘rake’ and then re-run the ‘gem install rails’.

I had already tried to uninstall/reinstall the gems with no luck.

So I decided to do a fresh Linux install and try it again.

Now I get:  
/usr/local/lib/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in  
`gem\_original\_require’:  
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-2.0.2/lib/rails/plugin/loader.rb:86:  
syntax error, unexpected $end (SyntaxError)

```
    ^ from 

```

/usr/local/lib/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `require' from /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-2.0.2/lib/initializer.rb:9 from /usr/local/lib/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in `gem\_original\_require’  
from  
/usr/local/lib/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `require' from ./script/../config/boot.rb:54:in `load\_initializer’  
from ./script/…/config/boot.rb:39:in `run' from ./script/../config/boot.rb:11:in `boot!’  
from ./script/…/config/boot.rb:109  
from script/server:2:in `require’  
from script/server:2

My Environment is now:  
RubyGems Environment:

- RUBYGEMS VERSION: 1.1.1
- RUBY VERSION: 1.8.6 (2007-06-07 patchlevel 36) [i486-linux]
- INSTALLATION DIRECTORY: /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8
- RUBY EXECUTABLE: /usr/bin/ruby1.8
- RUBYGEMS PLATFORMS:
  - ruby
  - x86-linux

- GEM PATHS:
  - /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8

- GEM CONFIGURATION:
  - :update\_sources =\> true
  - :verbose =\> true
  - :benchmark =\> false
  - :backtrace =\> false
  - :bulk\_threshold =\> 1000

- REMOTE SOURCES:
  - [http://gems.rubyforge.org](http://gems.rubyforge.org)

And my gems list  
\*\*\* LOCAL GEMS \*\*\*

actionmailer (2.0.2)  
actionpack (2.0.2)  
activerecord (2.0.2)  
activeresource (2.0.2)  
activesupport (2.0.2)  
rails (2.0.2)  
rake (0.8.1)

I hope this error message makes more sense than the other one.

Thanks