Can't install rdiscount gem after installing RubyInstaller and DevKit on Windows

Question

I'm having some errors trying to set up RoR on my Windows 7 machine. I installed Ruby with the RubyInstaller and DevKit. In their directions it says to execute gem install rdiscount --platform=ruby to ensure that it's installed correctly. I get the following error:

C:\Windows\system32>cd ../../DevKit

C:\DevKit>gem install rdiscount --platform=ruby
Temporarily enhancing PATH to include DevKit...
Building native extensions.  This could take a while...
ERROR:  Error installing rdiscount:
        ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

    C:/Ruby200-x64/bin/ruby.exe extconf.rb
checking for random()... *** extconf.rb failed ***
Could not create Makefile due to some reason, probably lack of necessary
libraries and/or headers.  Check the mkmf.log file for more details.  You may
need configuration options.

Provided configuration options:
        --with-opt-dir
        --without-opt-dir
        --with-opt-include
        --without-opt-include=${opt-dir}/include
        --with-opt-lib
        --without-opt-lib=${opt-dir}/lib
        --with-make-prog
        --without-make-prog
        --srcdir=.
        --curdir
        --ruby=C:/Ruby200-x64/bin/ruby
        --with-rdiscount-dir
        --without-rdiscount-dir
        --with-rdiscount-include
        --without-rdiscount-include=${rdiscount-dir}/include
        --with-rdiscount-lib
        --without-rdiscount-lib=${rdiscount-dir}/
C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:431:in `try_do': The compiler failed to ge
nerate an executable file. (RuntimeError)
You have to install development tools first.
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:516:in `try_link0'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:531:in `try_link'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:717:in `try_func'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:1001:in `block in have_func'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:892:in `block in checking_for
'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:337:in `block (2 levels) in p
ostpone'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:307:in `open'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:337:in `block in postpone'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:307:in `open'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:333:in `postpone'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:891:in `checking_for'
        from C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/2.0.0/mkmf.rb:1000:in `have_func'
        from extconf.rb:5:in `<main>'


Gem files will remain installed in C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/rdisc
ount-2.0.7.1 for inspection.
Results logged to C:/Ruby200-x64/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/rdiscount-2.0.7.1/ext/
gem_make.out

I've tried this suggestion, and removed a duplicate libiconv-2.dll file but the problem is persisting. Any suggestions?

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 06 '13 at 11:36

At this time, RDiscount is broken on Windows, see issue #74 at GitHub

If you have installed Ruby and DevKit, then you can install other gems like json or RedCloth to verify it compiles properly:

gem install json --platform=ruby
gem install RedCloth --platform=ruby

Hope that helps.

Can't install rdiscount gem after installing RubyInstaller and DevKit on Windows

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