# We're sorry, but something went wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181 "2010-06-17T16:22:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/1 "2010-06-17T16:22:13Z")
I am an RoR newb, so bear with me here. I am on an Intel based Mac running OS X 10.4.11 I have started the ‘RoR Essentials’ tutorial on [lynda.com](http://lynda.com). I have installed (I believe) all the necessary components: ruby 1.8.7 (2008-05-31 patchlevel 0) [i686-darwin8.11.1] Rails 2.3.8 gem version 1.3.5 mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.1.47, for apple-darwin8.11.1 (i386) using readline 5.1 WEBrick 1.3.1 Following the tutorial: > Created project ‘my\_app’ > $ rails -d mysql my\_app > (It is my understanding I need to define MySQL as the database as > MySQLite is Rails the default) > Start the server. > Access the RoR home page at [http://localhost:3000/](http://localhost:3000/). > This page displays as expected but… > When I select ‘About your application’s environment’ I get the error “We’re sorry, but something went wrong. We’ve been notified about this issue and we’ll take a look at it shortly.” At this point in the development log I see: /!\ FAILSAFE /!\ Sun Jun 13 19:22:05 -0400 2010 Status: 500 Internal Server Error Unknown database ‘my\_app\_development’… I ignore this error and go ahead and create the (‘say’) controller (say\_controller.rb) per the tutorial: $ script/generate controller Say and add the ‘hello’ method Attempting then to access: [http://localhost:3000/say/hello](http://localhost:3000/say/hello) generates the same “We’re sorry, but something went wrong.” error is returned. I am supposed to get a ‘Template is missing’ error. Added to the development log now includes: /!\ FAILSAFE /!\ Sun Jun 13 19:33:38 -0400 2010 Status: 500 Internal Server Error Unknown database ‘my\_app\_development’ I have seen a suggestion to revert to MySQL 5.0 but I cannot find where to download it to even try. Thank you in advance for your support. ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/2 "2010-06-17T16:22:19Z")
Hi, I think you need to rake db:create Then if still have the error, then look at config/database.yml as it might point to your login credentials being wrong. ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/3 "2010-06-17T16:26:20Z")
On 14 June 2010 01:17, GFP [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > readline 5.1 > This page displays as expected but… > Status: 500 Internal Server Error > Unknown database ‘my\_app\_development’… > > I ignore this error and go ahead and create the (‘say’) controller > (say\_controller.rb) per the tutorial: Generally (but not always) error messages are useful and are best not ignored 🙂 The error is complaining that the database does not exist. I guess that in config/database.yml you have specified my\_app\_development as the database. The app tries to open this and is failing. Create the db and that error should disappear. rake db:create should do it (provided you have set user and password in database.yml correctly). Colin ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/4 "2010-06-17T16:26:23Z")
Since I am that much of a newb and unfamiliar with the ‘rake’ command (notwithstanding your instructions) I removed the db names from ‘database.yml’ and that solved the issue - for now. I suspect I may encounter another issue when I get to the part in the tutorial when the database _is_ created? I don’t understand why then in the tutorial there was not a problem. I am sure I did not miss the/a part where the db was created. I did follow the instructions for creating a password for MySQL user ‘root’ (newb to MySQL, and programming in general as well!). If you could shed any light on that it would be appreciated. But now I can forge ahead! Thank you!! I imagine I will be utilizing this board pretty frequently as I move forward. ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/5 "2010-06-17T16:35:19Z")
On 14 June 2010 12:29, GFP [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > was no database. Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated. > Sorry, I do not know that tutorial. You could ask the supplier. By the way, it is generally preferred not to top post in this list, rather insert your reply at the appropriate points in the previous mail. Colin ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/6 "2010-06-17T16:27:02Z")
Since I am that much of a beginner and not familiar with the rake command (notwithstanding your instructions) I removded the database names from the database.yml file and that appears to have resolved the issue for now. I suspect I may encounter another issue when the/a database is created (?). I am sure I followed the tutorial step by step, and there was no mention of creating a database yet. Of course in the tutorial everything works as expected. I am curious why mine didn’t. Rails created the project and files, assumed the database name, but there was no database. Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated. At least I can move forward now. Thank you! I imagine I will be utilizing this group frequently as I forge ahead. ---
**Author:** ![GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@GFP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/GFP)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/were-sorry-but-something-went-wrong/190181/7 "2010-06-18T00:28:38Z")
GFP wrote: > I am an RoR newb, so bear with me here. I am on an Intel based Mac > running OS X 10.4.11 Er, why are you still on Tiger? > I have started the ‘RoR Essentials’ tutorial on [lynda.com](http://lynda.com). Don’t. That tutorial is way out of date. You won’t be able to use it with current Rails versions. Follow a recent tutorial; perhaps the Rails Guides at [http://guides.rubyonrails.org](http://guides.rubyonrails.org) are a good place to start. ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid