Rails 4.2.1 Devise 3.5.2 undefined method `token_authentication_key=' for Devise:Module

Question

Using rails 4.2.1,Ruby 2.1.1, Devise 3.5.2 to create a Rails backend to authenticate for a future Android app that allow a user to register with login/logout JSON request that generates a token that the android app will consume.

When I input rake db:create db:migrate

I receive the following error:

NoMethodError: undefined method `token_authentication_key=' for Devise:Module

The only files I've updated of devise are as follows:

file: db/migrate/_devise_create_users.rb

## Token authenticatable
t.string :authentication_token
add_index :users, :authentication_token, :unique => true

file: app/models/user.rb

class User < ActiveRecord::Base
        devise :database_authenticatable, :registerable,
               :recoverable, :rememberable, :trackable, :validatable,
               :token_authenticatable

        before_save :ensure_authentication_token

    end

    def skip_confirmation!
       self.confirmed_at = Time.now
    end

file: config/initializers/devise.rb

# ==> Configuration for :token_authenticatable
    # Defines name of the authentication token params key
    config.token_authentication_key = :auth_token

file: db/migrate/_devise_create_users.rb

 t.string :name, :null => false, :default => ""

file: db/migrate/_devise_create_users.rb

    ## Confirmable
    t.string   :confirmation_token
    t.datetime :confirmed_at
    t.datetime :confirmation_sent_at
    add_index :users, :confirmation_token,   :unique => true

Trace file on rake db:create db:migrate command:

** Invoke db:create (first_time)
** Invoke db:load_config (first_time)
** Execute db:load_config
** Execute db:create
db/development.sqlite3 already exists
db/test.sqlite3 already exists
** Invoke db:migrate (first_time)
** Invoke environment (first_time)
** Execute environment
rake aborted!
NoMethodError: undefined method `token_authentication_key=' for Devise:Module
/home/pc/layer_1/config/initializers/devise.rb:14:in `block in <top (required)>'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/devise-3.5.2/lib/devise.rb:278:in `setup'
/home/pc/layer_1/config/initializers/devise.rb:3:in `<top (required)>'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:268:in `load'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:268:in `block in load'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:240:in `load_dependency'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:268:in `load'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/engine.rb:652:in `block in load_config_initializer'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:166:in `instrument'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/engine.rb:651:in `load_config_initializer'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/engine.rb:616:in `block (2 levels) in <class:Engine>'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/engine.rb:615:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/engine.rb:615:in `block in <class:Engine>'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:30:in `instance_exec'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:30:in `run'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:55:in `block in run_initializers'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:226:in `block in tsort_each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:348:in `block (2 levels) in each_strongly_connected_component'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:420:in `block (2 levels) in each_strongly_connected_component_from'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:429:in `each_strongly_connected_component_from'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:419:in `block in each_strongly_connected_component_from'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:44:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:44:in `tsort_each_child'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:413:in `call'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:413:in `each_strongly_connected_component_from'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:347:in `block in each_strongly_connected_component'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:345:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:345:in `call'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:345:in `each_strongly_connected_component'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:224:in `tsort_each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/tsort.rb:203:in `tsort_each'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/initializable.rb:54:in `run_initializers'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/application.rb:352:in `initialize!'
/home/pc/layer_1/config/environment.rb:5:in `<top (required)>'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:274:in `require'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:274:in `block in require'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:240:in `load_dependency'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb:274:in `require'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/application.rb:328:in `require_environment!'
/home/pc/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.2.1/gems/railties-4.2.1/lib/rails/application.rb:457:in `block in run_tasks_blocks'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:240:in `call'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:240:in `block in execute'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:235:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:235:in `execute'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:179:in `block in invoke_with_call_chain'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/monitor.rb:211:in `mon_synchronize'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:172:in `invoke_with_call_chain'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:201:in `block in invoke_prerequisites'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:199:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:199:in `invoke_prerequisites'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:178:in `block in invoke_with_call_chain'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/monitor.rb:211:in `mon_synchronize'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:172:in `invoke_with_call_chain'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/task.rb:165:in `invoke'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:150:in `invoke_task'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:106:in `block (2 levels) in top_level'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:106:in `each'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:106:in `block in top_level'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:115:in `run_with_threads'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:100:in `top_level'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:78:in `block in run'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:176:in `standard_exception_handling'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/lib/ruby/2.2.0/rake/application.rb:75:in `run'
/home/pc/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.2.1/bin/rake:33:in `<main>'
Tasks: TOP => db:migrate => environment

Sorry for the long trace command call, any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

As of version 3.2 or something, Devise doesn't have a token_authentication system any more, for security matters. See : https://github.com/plataformatec/devise/issues/2739

It seems you have an initializer from an old version of devise.

Either you use an other way to make an authentication for your android app or you use an extra gem to put the token_authentication system back. https://github.com/baschtl/devise-token_authenticatable for example.