From: Eric Hodel <drbrain@...7.net>
Date: 2009-03-05T03:27:36+09:00
Subject: Re: gem cleanup problem

On Mar 4, 2009, at 06:27, Tom Cloyd wrote:

> I'm running Kubuntu Linux 8.10, and Rubygems 1.3.1.
>
> I'm trying to remove a sizable number of outdated gem versions,  
> using the 'gem update' command. Initially, it appeared to be choking  
> on RedCloth. I kept getting:
>
> ~$ sudo gem cleanup
> Cleaning up installed gems...       Attempting to uninstall  
> RedCloth-4.1.1
> ERROR:  While executing gem ... (Gem::InstallError)
>   Unknown gem RedCloth = 4.1.1
> My immediately previous 'gem list' had shown (among other things) -
>
> RedCloth (4.1.9, 4.1.1)
>
> So I tried to uninstall RedCloth completely, thinking there must be  
> something wrong with it (although I'd seen no indication of this  
> elsewhere). Rubygems reported successfully uninstalling v. 4.1.9. No  
> mention of 4.1.1. It still appeared in the 'gem list'.
>
> Reissuing the command, I get this:
>
> $ sudo gem uninstall RedCloth
> ERROR:  While executing gem ... (Gem::InstallError)
>   Unknown gem RedCloth >= 0
> So I went after it manually, and just deleted the gem and associated  
> docs.
>
> But the problem just reappeared, with a different gem. Not a  
> RedCloth problem after all.
>
> $ sudo gem cleanup
> Cleaning up installed gems...
> Attempting to uninstall bones-2.3.1
> ERROR:  While executing gem ... (Gem::InstallError)
>   Unknown gem bones = 2.3.1
> tomc@tomc-desktop:~$
>
> I don't understand the problem here. Can anyone offer me a clue?

gem cleanup doesn't handle multiple gem repos well yet, this may be  
your problem:

$ gem list -d rails

*** LOCAL GEMS ***

rails (2.2.2, 1.2.6)
     Author: David Heinemeier Hansson
     Rubyforge: http://rubyforge.org/projects/rails
     Homepage: http://www.rubyonrails.org
     Installed at (2.2.2): /Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8
                  (1.2.6): /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/ 
Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8
[...]
$ sudo gem cleanup rails
Password:
Cleaning up installed gems...
:0:Warning: Gem::SourceIndex#search support for Regexp patterns is  
deprecated
Attempting to uninstall rails-1.2.6
ERROR:  While executing gem ... (Gem::InstallError)
     Unknown gem rails = 1.2.6
$