The phrase “Windows failed to build gem native extension Ubuntu” combines two different operating systems (Windows and Ubuntu). Read the article to know the complete details on the issue. At Bobcares, with our Windows Hosting Support, we can handle your issues.

Overview

1. Understanding “Windows failed to build gem native extension Ubuntu”
2. Common Causes of the “Failed to Build Gem Native Extension” Error
3. How to Fix the “Failed to Build Gem Native Extension” Error on Ubuntu?
4. Conclusion

Understanding “Windows failed to build gem native extension in Ubuntu”

When working with Ruby gems, particularly those with native extensions, encountering the error message “Failed to build gem native extension” is a common problem, especially on Ubuntu systems. This error typically occurs when a Ruby gem, which is essentially a package that extends Ruby’s functionality, requires a native extension to be built during installation. However, the build process can fail for various reasons.

In this article, we will explain why this error occurs, explore the common causes, and guide users through several troubleshooting steps to resolve it.

What Are Native Extensions?

Native extensions are pieces of code written in languages like C or C++ that enhance the performance of Ruby gems or enable interaction with system-level libraries. When a gem contains these extensions, it requires a C compiler to compile them during installation. If the necessary system tools or dependencies are missing or misconfigured, the installation process will fail, leading to the error mentioned above.

Common Causes of the “Failed to Build Gem Native Extension” Error

There are several possible reasons why we may encounter this error. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Missing Development Tools (C Compiler): The most frequent cause is the absence of essential development tools like gcc, g++, or make sure on the system. These tools are necessary to compile native extensions.

2. Missing Development Libraries: Certain gems require specific development libraries to compile, such as libxml2, libsqlite3-dev, or libssl-dev. If these libraries are not installed, the build process will fail.

3. Incompatible Ruby Version: The gem we’re trying to install may not be compatible with the current Ruby version, or there may be version mismatches between Ruby and its dependencies.

4. Incorrect Permissions: Sometimes, permission issues can prevent the gem from being installed. This is especially common when trying to install gems globally without using sudo or a Ruby version manager like rbenv or rvm.

5. 64-bit vs. 32-bit Architecture Mismatch: Although rare, an architecture mismatch between the system libraries and Ruby could cause this error, particularly if we’re running on a 64-bit system with 32-bit libraries.

How to Fix the “Failed to Build Gem Native Extension” Error on Ubuntu?

Here are the steps we can take to resolve this error and successfully install Ruby gems with native extensions:

1. Install Required Development Tools

The first step is to ensure that the system has all the essential build tools. Ubuntu provides a package called build-essential, which includes the gcc compiler, g++, make, and other necessary tools for compiling code.

Steps to Install Build Tools:

i. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential

This command will install the necessary compilation tools required for building native extensions.

2. Install Ruby Development Headers

Some Ruby gems require access to Ruby development headers to compile. These header files are included in the ruby-dev package, which we can install using the following command:

sudo apt install ruby-dev

The ruby-dev package includes all the header files necessary to build Ruby gems with native extensions.

3. Install Specific Libraries Based on the Gem

Different Ruby gems may require specific development libraries. Depending on the gem we’re trying to install, we may need to install certain libraries or development packages.

Here are some common examples:

For gems like nokogiri (which depend on XML parsing libraries), install libxml2 and libxslt development packages:

sudo apt install libxml2-dev libxslt-dev

For database-related gems like pg (for PostgreSQL), install the PostgreSQL development libraries:

sudo apt install libpq-dev

Then, for SSL-related gems like openssl, install the OpenSSL development libraries:

sudo apt install libssl-dev

For gems that work with SQLite, such as sqlite3, install the SQLite development library:

sudo apt install libsqlite3-dev

We can install ImageMagick and its development libraries for image processing gems like rmagick:

sudo apt install libmagickwand-dev

4. Ensure we’re Using the Correct Ruby Version

One of the reasons for this error could be that the gem we’re trying to install is not compatible with the version of Ruby we have. We can check the Ruby version using the following command:

ruby -v

If we’re using a Ruby version manager like rbenv or rvm, ensure that we’re using the correct Ruby version before installing the gem.

For rbenv:

rbenv install 
rbenv global

For rvm:

rvm install 
rvm use --default

5. Install Bundler

If we’re managing dependencies with a Gemfile, ensure that Bundler is installed and up to date. We can install Bundler by running:

gem install bundler

Then, install the gems in the Gemfile using:

bundle install

This will automatically handle all the dependencies required for the gems in the project.

6. Use sudo for System-wide Gem Installation

If we’re installing gems globally and encounter permission issues, we may need to use sudo to install the gem with elevated privileges:

sudo gem install

However, it’s usually better to use a Ruby version manager like rbenv or rvm to manage the gems locally, without needing root permissions.

7. Check the Logs for Detailed Error Information

The error message produced during the native extension build process often includes detailed information about what went wrong. Take the time to review the full log output to identify the root cause of the problem, whether it’s a missing library or a version mismatch.

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Conclusion

The “Failed to build gem native extension” error is often caused by missing dependencies or incorrect configurations on the system. By ensuring that we have the necessary build tools, Ruby headers, and specific libraries installed, we can resolve most issues and successfully install Ruby gems with native extensions on Ubuntu.