failing to install rdiscount-2.1.6

Question

I tried to install octopress following the documentation and got this error during the process. (after 'bundle install')

Tried to manually reinstall it with no success.

Installing rdiscount (2.0.7.3) 
Gem::Installer::ExtensionBuildError: ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

        /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/ruby extconf.rb 
checking for random()... yes
checking for srandom()... yes
checking for rand()... yes
checking for srand()... yes
checking size of unsigned long... *** 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=/Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/ruby
    --with-rdiscount-dir
    --without-rdiscount-dir
    --with-rdiscount-include
    --without-rdiscount-include=${rdiscount-dir}/include
    --with-rdiscount-lib
    --without-rdiscount-lib=${rdiscount-dir}/lib
/Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:597:in `Integer': can't convert nil into Integer (TypeError)
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:597:in `block in try_constant'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:330:in `popen'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:330:in `block in xpopen'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:254:in `open'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:323:in `xpopen'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:596:in `try_constant'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:1156:in `block in check_sizeof'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:790:in `block in checking_for'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:284:in `block (2 levels) in postpone'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:254:in `open'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:284:in `block in postpone'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:254:in `open'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:280:in `postpone'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:789:in `checking_for'
    from /Users/*****/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/mkmf.rb:1155:in `check_sizeof'
    from extconf.rb:11:in `block in sized_int'
    from extconf.rb:11:in `each'
    from extconf.rb:11:in `find'
    from extconf.rb:11:in `sized_int'
    from extconf.rb:15:in `<main>'


Gem files will remain installed in /Users/*****/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/rdiscount-2.0.7.3 for inspection.
Results logged to /Users/*****/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/rdiscount-2.0.7.3/ext/gem_make.out

An error occurred while installing rdiscount (2.0.7.3), and Bundler cannot continue.
Make sure that `gem install rdiscount -v '2.0.7.3'` succeeds before bundling.

I'm pretty sure it's something really easy, just i'm too tired at the moment.. if i get it i'll update the post without letting anyone waste their time with it.

• Mac Os X mountain lion and ruby 1.9.3 installed.

Answer 1

Sorry to necro an older thread, but I was having this same problem on windows 7 x64 with ruby 2.0.0 and rails 4. Was stumped, tried installing any version of rdiscount and nothing worked. Found out it was Avast preventing something from running in the terminal. Disabled it for 10 minutes and it worked 100% fine.

Answer 2

I was unable to install rdiscount 2.0.7.3 on Mac 10.8.5 with ruby 1.9.2-p320-mri. I was able to install rdiscount under ruby 2.0.0-p247, in case that helps anyone at all.