# Weirdest IRB / Rails console problem

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 14, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269 "2010-08-14T14:38:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tick)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269/1 "2010-08-14T14:38:01Z")

</div>

I have a really weird problem. In IRB / Rails Console I cannot type a  
Capital C.

My system: OS X, 10.6.4  
Ruby Version: 1.9.2.rc2, as well as 1.9.1.p378

The “C” works everywhere else, in OSX, in the Terminal, but not in IRB.  
Not even if I copy one in from somewhere else.

I tried another ruby version, I tried wiping my .irbrc, no luck so far.  
I’m really happy vor any suggestions.

Thanks  
Ray

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tick)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269/2 "2010-08-16T20:13:31Z")

</div>

Ray K. wrote:

> I have a really weird problem. In IRB / Rails Console I cannot type a  
> Capital C.
> 
> My system: OS X, 10.6.4  
> Ruby Version: 1.9.2.rc2, as well as 1.9.1.p378
> 
> The “C” works everywhere else, in OSX, in the Terminal, but not in IRB.  
> Not even if I copy one in from somewhere else.
> 
> I tried another ruby version, I tried wiping my .irbrc, no luck so far.  
> I’m really happy vor any suggestions.
> 
> Thanks  
> Ray

I’m using workarounds here, or avoiding classes beginning with C. If  
anyone has the same problem contact me at ticktricktrack(at)[gmail.com](http://gmail.com).  
Even if this post has gone stale.

Ray

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tick)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269/3 "2010-08-17T12:40:57Z")

</div>

Only a guess, but maybe a problem with libreadline?

Try: irb --noreadline

and see if you can type normally. (Admittedly, not having line editing  
is a real pain, but it would help to localise the problem)

If this is the problem: you could check /etc/inputrc, ~/.inputrc and the  
INPUTRC environment variable (echo $INPUTRC)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@tick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tick)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weirdest-irb-rails-console-problem/193269/4 "2010-08-18T13:52:03Z")

</div>

Brian C. wrote:

> Only a guess, but maybe a problem with libreadline?
> 
> Try: irb --noreadline
> 
> and see if you can type normally. (Admittedly, not having line editing  
> is a real pain, but it would help to localise the problem)
> 
> If this is the problem: you could check /etc/inputrc, ~/.inputrc and the  
> INPUTRC environment variable (echo $INPUTRC)

Thanks, that helped a lot.  
I finally fixed it with

∴ rvm package install readline  
∴ rvm remove 1.9.2-rc2  
∴ rvm install 1.9.2-rc2 -C --with-readline-dir=$HOME/.rvm/usr

[http://rvm.beginrescueend.com/packages/readline/](http://rvm.beginrescueend.com/packages/readline/)

Ray