From: Jano Svitok <jan.svitok@...>
Date: 2007-07-01T06:59:34+09:00
Subject: Re: Installing mySql GEM on Ubuntu?

On 6/29/07, David <me@me.com> wrote:
> I am running Linx Mint, a version of Ubuntu, and I installed Ruby
> and Rails. However, when I try to install the mySql package via. gem, "gem
> install mysql" I get an error message (See below) with no idea how to fix
> the error.  I looked on the net (Google), but all suggestions do not work
> with this Linux.
>
> Also, as far as I know, I have all of the correct mySql drivers/headers,
> etc.
>
> =================== error message  ==================================
>
> Select which gem to install for your platform (i486-linux)
>  1. mysql 2.7.3 (mswin32)
>  2. mysql 2.7.1 (mswin32)
>  3. mysql 2.7 (ruby)
>  4. mysql 2.6 (ruby)
>  5. mysql 2.5.1 (ruby)
>  6. Cancel installation
> > 3
> Building native extensions.  This could take a while...
> extconf.rb:1:in `require': no such file to load -- mkmf (LoadError)
>         from extconf.rb:1
>
> ERROR:  While executing gem ... (RuntimeError)
>     ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.
> Gem files will remain installed in /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/mysql-2.7 for inspection.

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/hoanga/2006/10/27/fixing-mkmf-load-error-ruby-in-ubuntu/

apt-get install ruby-dev

If that doesn't help, tell us how did you install ruby (from package
or from source), and whether you have installed build-essential
package (i.e. can you compile anything?)