# Ruby and library paths **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [25 January 2007 07:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786 "2007-01-25T07:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dale1)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 07:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/1 "2007-01-25T07:35:29Z")
Hi there I'm (brand) new to Ruby, so treat my questions in that light. On trying to install Beast (web forum software on Rails) I am required to test that requiring fcgi, or [fcgi.so](http://fcgi.so) returns true from within irb. $ irb irb(main):001:0\> require [fcgi.so](http://fcgi.so) NameError: undefined local variable or method `fcgi' for main:Object          from (irb):1 I guessed that there may be an issue with paths, so tried the full path to the lib. irb(main):002:0\> require /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/fcgi-0.8.7/lib/fcgi.so SyntaxError: compile error (irb):2: unknown regexp options - lb (irb):2: no .\ floating literal anymore; put 0 before dot require /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/fcgi-0.8.7/lib/fcgi.so                                               ^ (irb):2: parse error, unexpected tINTEGER require /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/fcgi-0.8.7/lib/fcgi.so                                                ^          from (irb):2 The above has worked before (ie. using the full path), giving the output 'true'. I have two questions. 1) How do I configure things so that I don't have to specify the full path to a lib. 2) How do I resolve the above error? Should I be speaking to the ruby-fcgi guys? OS slackware linux ruby 1.8.5-p2 ruby fcgi 0.8.7 fcgi 2.4.0 Thanks Dale > **···** > > from :0 ---
**Author:** ![Pit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f14d63/32.png) [@Pit](https://rubytalk.org/u/Pit)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 08:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/2 "2007-01-25T08:09:48Z")
Dale schrieb: > I'm (brand) new to Ruby, so treat my questions in that light. On trying to install Beast (web forum software on Rails) I am required to test that requiring fcgi, or fcgi.so returns true from within irb. > > $ irb > irb(main):001:0\> require fcgi.so > NameError: undefined local variable or method `fcgi' for main:Object >         from (irb):1 Hi Dale, welcome to Ruby! You have to put quotes around fcgi, like    require "fcgi" or    require "fcgi.so" Otherwise Ruby tries to find a local variable or a method called fcgi, and then you get the NameError you've shown. Regards, Pit ---
**Author:** ![Dale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dale1)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 08:17 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/3 "2007-01-25T08:17:51Z")
Thanks for the advice Pit, but there still appears to be a path issue? Any other suggestions? Thanks. $ irb irb(main):001:0\> require "fcgi" LoadError: no such file to load -- fcgi          from (irb):1:in `require'          from (irb):1 irb(main):002:0\> require "fcgi.so" LoadError: no such file to load -- fcgi.so          from (irb):2:in `require'          from (irb):2 irb(main):003:0\> Pit Capitain wrote: > **···** > > > You have to put quotes around fcgi, like > > > >   require "fcgi" > > > > or > > > >   require "fcgi.so" > > > > Otherwise Ruby tries to find a local variable or a method called fcgi, and then you get the NameError you've shown. ---
**Author:** ![Dale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dale1)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 08:19 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/4 "2007-01-25T08:19:53Z")
This does work though... absolute path to lib, so there must be a path issue in terms of irb's environment? irb(main):003:0\> require "/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/fcgi-0.8.7/lib/fcgi.so" =\> true Dale wrote: > **···** > > > Thanks for the advice Pit, but there still appears to be a path issue? Any other suggestions? Thanks. > > > > $ irb > > irb(main):001:0\> require "fcgi" > > LoadError: no such file to load -- fcgi > >         from (irb):1:in `require' > >         from (irb):1 > > irb(main):002:0\> require "fcgi.so" > > LoadError: no such file to load -- fcgi.so > >         from (irb):2:in `require' > >         from (irb):2 > > irb(main):003:0\> ---
**Author:** ![Pit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f14d63/32.png) [@Pit](https://rubytalk.org/u/Pit)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 08:29 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/5 "2007-01-25T08:29:13Z")
Dale schrieb: > This does work though... absolute path to lib, so there must be a path issue in terms of irb's environment? > > irb(main):003:0\> require "/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/fcgi-0.8.7/lib/fcgi.so" > =\> true Hi Dale, I have no Linux, so I can't tell you much more. But to be able to use gems, you first have to load the ruygems library itself. So try    require "rubygems"    require "fcgi" If this doesn't work, someone else has to help you further. Regards, Pit ---
**Author:** ![Dale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dale1)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 08:47 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/6 "2007-01-25T08:47:29Z")
Ha! Super! You were spot on. Thanks! $ irb irb(main):001:0\> require "rubygems" =\> true irb(main):002:0\> require "fcgi" =\> true irb(main):003:0\> Pit Capitain wrote: > **···** > > > Hi Dale, I have no Linux, so I can't tell you much more. But to be able to use gems, you first have to load the ruygems library itself. So try > > > >   require "rubygems" > >   require "fcgi" ---
**Author:** ![Phil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@Phil](https://rubytalk.org/u/Phil)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 09:04 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/7 "2007-01-25T09:04:08Z")
Dale schrieb: > Ha! Super! You were spot on. Thanks! > > $ irb > irb(main):001:0\> require "rubygems" > =\> true > irb(main):002:0\> require "fcgi" > =\> true > irb(main):003:0\> If you are going to work with rubygems more often, it is a good idea to add RUBYOPT=-rubygems to your .bash\_rc. This allows you to just use require "library|code\_snippet" in the future. HTH, Phill ---
**Author:** ![Dale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Dale1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Dale1)\ **Post date:** [25 January 2007 09:20 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-and-library-paths/34786/8 "2007-01-25T09:20:57Z")
Thanks Phill. I'm impressed by the immediate and useful help from folks on this ML so far! Much appreciated! Dale cmdjackryan@googlemail.com wrote: > **···** > > > If you are going to work with rubygems more often, it is a good idea to add RUBYOPT=-rubygems to your .bash\_rc. This allows you to just use require "library|code\_snippet" in the future.