Ruby gem mysql2 install failing

Question

When I try to install the mysql2 gem, it fails with no apparent errors. Does anyone know what to do to work around this so mysql2 installs?

$ sudo gem install mysql2
Building native extensions.  This could take a while...
ERROR:  Error installing mysql2:
    ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby extconf.rb
checking for rb_thread_blocking_region()... no
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
checking for main() in -lm... yes
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
checking for main() in -lz... yes
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
checking for main() in -lsocket... no
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
checking for main() in -lnsl... no
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
checking for main() in -lmygcc... no
checking for mysql_query() in -lmysqlclient... no
*** 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=/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby
    --with-mysql-config
    --without-mysql-config
    --with-mysql-dir
    --without-mysql-dir
    --with-mysql-include
    --without-mysql-include=${mysql-dir}/include
    --with-mysql-lib
    --without-mysql-lib=${mysql-dir}/lib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib
    --with-mlib
    --without-mlib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib
    --with-zlib
    --without-zlib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib
    --with-socketlib
    --without-socketlib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib
    --with-nsllib
    --without-nsllib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib
    --with-mygcclib
    --without-mygcclib
    --with-mysqlclientlib
    --without-mysqlclientlib


Gem files will remain installed in /Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/mysql2-0.2.6 for inspection.
Results logged to /Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/mysql2-0.2.6/ext/mysql2/gem_make.out

score 156 · Answer 1 · edited May 21 '12 at 15:36

156

Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev  #(mysql development headers)
sudo gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-dir=/etc/mysql/

That's it!

Result:

Building native extensions. This could take a while...
Successfully installed mysql2-0.2.6
1 gem installed
Installing ri documentation for mysql2-0.2.6...
Enclosing class/module 'mMysql2' for class Result not known
Enclosing class/module 'mMysql2' for class Client not known
Installing RDoc documentation for mysql2-0.2.6...
Enclosing class/module 'mMysql2' for class Result not known
Enclosing class/module 'mMysql2' for class Client not known

edited May 21 '12 at 15:36

coreyward

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answered Dec 22 '10 at 15:44

tunelko

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3

Unfortunately, apt is not yet available on OSX. But your approach does indeed work on Debian/Ubuntu. – Holger Just Feb 12 '11 at 21:22
6

I don't understand how this has so many upvotes when it does not correspond to the question. – WattsInABox Dec 19 '11 at 22:14
19

It has so many upvotes because others (like myself) have found this useful. It solved my issue. – John Jan 09 '12 at 09:58
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Issue is the same problem but on a different OS – Abe Petrillo Jan 14 '12 at 13:41
Install another useful gem - sudo gem install mysql2xxxx -- --with-mysql-dir=/etc/mysql/ – hack3r Aug 22 '13 at 12:23
For me the _--with-mysql-dir_ was not enough, and instead I had to use **`sudo gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-include=/usr/include/mysql/ --with-mysql-lib=/usr/lib/mysql/`** – gregn3 Nov 14 '13 at 11:18
this helped me install mysql2 on my chromebook. thanks @tunelko! – NullVoxPopuli Mar 10 '14 at 14:37
7

Please not that on Ubuntu 13, at least, you don't have to specify `with-mysql-dir`. Just install `libmysqlclient-dev` and then run `bundle install` and it should work. – Josh M. Apr 15 '14 at 19:42
@JoshM.: Fantastic tip. Thanks a lot. Works much smoother that way, including on Debian Wheezy. – AlexC Sep 11 '14 at 16:10
`libmysqlclient-dev` solved my problem in Ubuntu 14.04. Thanks! – Denys Vitali Jan 27 '15 at 21:59

score 42 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 06 '10 at 21:10

42

You need the MySQL development headers for mysql2 to properly compile. This is needed, because much of the functionality is written in C and subsequently linked against MySQL.

A solution is to either point the gem installer to your mysql install folder explicitly like so

gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-dir=/usr/local/mysql
# or where ever you installed your mysql server to

or by installing a mysql server to a known location (e.g. by using homebrew.) and then installing the gem

# install the mysql server locally
brew install mysql
# install the gem
gem install mysql2

Both approaches require you to have XCode installed to have the required GCC compiler.

answered Nov 06 '10 at 21:10

Holger Just

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The brew solution worked the best for me. If you install the Mac OS X MySQL binary make sure to use the 64bit version. – Jason Feb 12 '11 at 21:17
Thanks, the `--with-mysql-dir=` option was just what I needed to solve my problem. – Tobias Cohen May 06 '11 at 02:26
For me the `--with-mysql-dir` was actually causing an issue. I just left that off and let it install to a default directory. I just direct installed a specific version with `gem install mysql2 -v '0.3.18'` – user2490003 Jun 14 '15 at 06:59
Thanks : This worked for me : ==> sudo gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-dir=/usr/local/mysql – Arunabh Das Jul 01 '17 at 21:37

score 31 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 06 '10 at 21:03

31

You have to have 64-bit MySQL installed on your machine, plus the build tools you get when you install xcode.

answered Nov 06 '10 at 21:03

coreyward

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That solved it. Installed 64-bit MySQL on my computer via the link below and all worked fine. Thanks! – Tanner Nov 06 '10 at 21:38
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yep - `brew install mysql` and then `gem install mysql` **without** problems - thx! – froderik Feb 13 '13 at 20:16

dkam · Answer 4 · 2012-02-19T12:32:07.183

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With Brew and MySQL installed, I used the following to install the mysql2 gem

gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-config=/usr/local/Cellar/mysql/5.5.10/bin/mysql_config

If you're using Bundler, you can tell bundler about this with command:

bundle config build.mysql2 --with-mysql-config=/usr/local//Cellar/mysql/5.5.10/bin/mysql_config

As documented here: http://gembundler.com/man/bundle-config.1.html

edited Feb 19 '12 at 12:32

answered Feb 19 '12 at 12:16

dkam

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This also works if you're using brew versions to install old versions, e.g. brew install mysql51, gem install mysql2 -v '0.3.13' -- --with-mysql-config=/usr/local/Cellar/mysql51/5.1.71/bin/mysql_config (on mountain lion) – nruth Aug 18 '13 at 21:19
only solution to this strange problem in MacOS! – kevinluo201 May 14 '20 at 15:47

score 8 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 10 '12 at 10:32

8

on Mac OSX Moutain Lion, below command worked for me:

gem install mysql2 -- --srcdir=/usr/local/mysql/include

answered Dec 10 '12 at 10:32

Sushma Satish

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Ubuntu 14.01 as well! – Peter Kazazes Jul 18 '14 at 07:27
On macOS Mojave as well! – evgpisarchik Nov 03 '18 at 18:38

shilovk · Answer 6 · 2017-10-11T10:41:51.937

Ubuntu 15.04:

sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev
sudo gem install mysql2

Ubuntu-16.04:

sudo apt-get install ruby-mysql2
sudo gem install mysql2

Output:

Building native extensions.  This could take a while...
Successfully installed mysql2-0.3.19
Parsing documentation for mysql2-0.3.19
Installing ri documentation for mysql2-0.3.19
Done installing documentation for mysql2 after 0 seconds
1 gem installed

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Nov 06 '10 at 21:04

You might want to check this thread at the MySQL web site: http://forums.mysql.com/read.php?116,178217,178217, particularly the answer by Scott Derrick: http://forums.mysql.com/read.php?116,178217,189357#msg-189357

To be more specific, try using

sudo gem install mysql2 -- --with-mysql-dir=/usr/local/mysql

Hope that helps.

score 2 · Answer 8 · answered Nov 26 '16 at 04:24

2

In Centos 6.x (7 should work) with SCL (software collection) rh-mysql:

scl enable rh-mysql56 bash
gem install mysql2 -v '0.4.5' -- --with-mysql-include=/opt/rh/rh-mysql56/root/usr/include --with-mysql-lib=/opt/rh/rh-mysql56/root/usr/lib64

answered Nov 26 '16 at 04:24

Daniel Antonio Nuñez Carhuayo

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score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 25 '13 at 17:04

I dug through 2 days worth of the internet and Stack Overflow, and it wasn't until I found this link and then starting working through this ticket for mysql2 that I actually resolved the issue.

With my setup (as explained in the ticket), the compiler switches of -Wno-null-conversion -Wno-unused-private-field would break and give me an error that wasn't exactly correct, which was:

mysql.h is missing. please check your installation of mysql and try again

vic · Answer 10 · 2016-10-21T17:05:45.160

I solved this by being specific on where are the directories, no need to reinstall anything, with brew or macports or whatever, just by specifying where are the things (only one thing: the ruby on my mac was installed with rvm, I'm not using the default one that comes with os x):

adding to your gem install mysql2 the flags below

--srcdir="..." - the includes
--with-mysql-dir="..." - the mysql directory
--with-mysql-config="..." - the mysql_config file

like this gem install mysql2 --srcdir=/usr/local/mysql/include/ --with-mysql-dir=/usr/local/mysql --with-mysql-config=/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql_config

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Jan 30 '14 at 16:35

0

I guess that if you type rvm use ruby-2.1.0@rails4.0 --create in you directory then bundle install it works.

answered Jan 30 '14 at 16:35

Ruby gem mysql2 install failing

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