gem install mysql2 fails

Question

I got this error:

sudo gem install mysql2 Building native extensions.  This could take a while... ERROR:  Error installing mysql2:     ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.  /usr/bin/ruby1.8 extconf.rb checking for rb_thread_blocking_region()... no checking for mysql.h... no checking for mysql/mysql.h... no ----- mysql.h is missing.  please check your installation of mysql and try again. ----- *** 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=/usr/bin/ruby1.8     --with-mysql-config     --without-mysql-config   Gem files will remain installed in /var/lib/gems/1.8/gems/mysql2-0.2.6 for inspection. Results logged to /var/lib/gems/1.8/gems/mysql2-0.2.6/ext/mysql2/gem_make.out 

I have tried:

• uninstall mysql2 and install it again
• uninstall mysql with apt-get
• installd dev-tools from mysql
• and almost all the pages on Google

How can I fix this?

Answer 1

You need to install libmysqlclient-dev before installing the mysql2 gem:

sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev gem install mysql2 

This should fix this problem on the latest Ubuntu versions.

Answer 2

Thank Andre Schweighofer, just to it

sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev gem install mysql2  .. bundle update bundle install 

DONE !!!