Fix Bundler Permission Errors | Generated by AI

Home 2025.10

Understanding the Error

This is a common permission issue when using Bundler (Ruby’s dependency manager) with a system-installed Ruby (version 3.2.0 here). The error occurs because Bundler is trying to download and cache the rake gem (and potentially others) in the system-wide gem directory at /var/lib/gems/3.2.0/cache/, which requires root-level write access. Your Bundler itself is installed user-locally (in ~/.local/share/gem/), but it’s defaulting to the system’s gem paths for installations.

This chain in your Gemfile (Jekyll + dependencies like minima, jekyll-feed, etc.) is just triggering the install of rake as a deep dependency—nothing wrong with your setup, just permissions.

Quick Fixes (in order of recommendation)

  1. Install Gems Locally (Recommended - No Sudo Needed)
    This keeps everything in your home directory, avoiding system paths entirely. Run: 
    bundle config set --local path 'vendor/bundle'
bundle install
    • This creates a vendor/bundle folder in your project for gems.
    • To run your Jekyll site later, use bundle exec jekyll serve (the exec ensures it uses the local gems).
    • If you want this global for all projects: Replace --local with --global and use ~/.bundle as the path.
  2. Use Sudo (Quick but Not Ideal)
    If you need a one-off install and don’t mind system-wide gems: 
    sudo bundle install
    • Warning: This installs gems globally as root, which can lead to ownership issues later (e.g., you’d need sudo for future updates). Avoid if possible.
  3. Fix System Permissions (Advanced - Use with Caution)
    If you want to keep using the system gem dir without sudo: 
    sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/lib/gems/3.2.0/
    • Then retry bundle install.
    • Warning: This changes ownership of system gems, which could break packages managed by your distro (e.g., Ubuntu). Only do this if you’re comfortable troubleshooting.

Long-Term Recommendation

For Ruby/Jekyll development, switch to a user-managed Ruby installer like rbenv or RVM. This avoids all permission headaches by installing Ruby and gems entirely in your home dir:

If none of these resolve it or you hit another error, share the output of ruby -v, gem env, and your Gemfile.lock (if it exists) for more tailored help!

Back

x-ai/grok-4-fast

Donate