Why does installing Nokogiri on Mac OS fail with libiconv is missing?

Question

I've been trying to install Nokogiri on Mac OS 10.9.3 and whatever I try, the install fails in the end with the following error message:

$ sudo gem install nokogiri -- --with-xml2-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/include/libxml2 --with-xml2-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/lib --with-xslt-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.28 --with-iconv-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/include --with-iconv-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/lib
Building native extensions with: '--with-xml2-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/include/libxml2 --with-xml2-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/lib --with-xslt-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.28 --with-iconv-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/include --with-iconv-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/lib'
This could take a while...
Building nokogiri using packaged libraries.
ERROR:  Error installing nokogiri:
    ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

    /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.0/usr/bin/ruby extconf.rb --with-xml2-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/include/libxml2 --with-xml2-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.9.1/lib --with-xslt-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.28 --with-iconv-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/include --with-iconv-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14/lib
Building nokogiri using packaged libraries.
checking for iconv.h... yes
checking for iconv_open() in iconv.h... no
checking for iconv_open() in -liconv... no
checking for libiconv_open() in iconv.h... no
checking for libiconv_open() in -liconv... no
-----
libiconv is missing.  please visit http://nokogiri.org/tutorials/installing_nokogiri.html for help with installing dependencies.
-----
*** 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=/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.0/usr/bin/ruby
    --help
    --clean
    --use-system-libraries
    --enable-static
    --disable-static
    --with-zlib-dir
    --without-zlib-dir
    --with-zlib-include
    --without-zlib-include=${zlib-dir}/include
    --with-zlib-lib
    --without-zlib-lib=${zlib-dir}/lib
    --enable-cross-build
    --disable-cross-build


Gem files will remain installed in /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.0.0/gems/nokogiri-1.6.2.1 for inspection.
Results logged to /Library/Ruby/Gems/2.0.0/gems/nokogiri-1.6.2.1/ext/nokogiri/gem_make.out

After following a lot of help found around the web including building and installing libxml2 and libxslt using brew and building libiconv from the sources (as described in "Installing Nokogiri"), the error remains the same.

When trying to run the installation for Nokogiri, libxml2 and libxslt seem to be found fine, but not libiconv.

Anyone with a better knowledge of these things know how to get Nokogiri installed?

Solution 1

I had the same issue. Unfortunately the "Installing Nokogiri" doesn't cover Iconv issues. Here's how I resolved the issue.

First install homebrew, it'll make your life easier. If you already have it installed, be sure to grab the latest formulae by updating like so:

brew update

Note: In OSX 10.9+ you may need to install xCode command tools to allow you to install libiconv.

xcode-select --install

then install a newer version of libiconv

brew install libiconv

then install your gem

gem install nokogiri -- --with-iconv-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14

Solution 2

Try using the system libraries. OSX comes with libiconv in newer versions, but the defaults install script seems to have a problem

gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries

Edit: If using bundler, as mentioned by Geoff you can do:

bundle config build.nokogiri --use-system-libraries

Solution 3

@Cory's solution contains the correct answer, but the solution on Mavericks is actually much simpler than the top solution so I'm reposting with only the necessary steps.

On Mavericks (OSX 10.9+):

Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

xcode-select --install

then install your gem:

gem install nokogiri

Solution 4

I was finally able to solve this problem. None of the above solutions completely fixed it for me.

I was getting this error when trying to gem install nokogiri on OSX Lion 10.7.2. First of all, this error masks the real problem by saying libiconv is missing, because you will get the same error even if nokogiri can't find libxslt or libxml2, which in my case, it couldn't.

So I followed the instructions on http://nokogiri.org/tutorials/installing_nokogiri.html under the Homebrew section (slightly modified to account for a more current version of libxml2):

brew install libxml2
brew link libxml2

# install libxslt from source
wget ftp://xmlsoft.org/libxml2/libxslt-1.1.26.tar.gz
tar -zxvf libxslt-1.1.26.tar.gz
cd libxslt-1.1.26
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26 --with-libxml-prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.7.8
make
sudo make install

At this point I followed the directions on the nokogiri site and tried

gem install nokogiri -- --with-xslt-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26

However, this still failed because when building libxslt from source, it installs the /include folder in a funky place. So you need to specify the lib and include folders separately like so:

gem install nokogiri -- --with-xslt-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/lib --with-xslt-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/include/libxslt

This still didn't work (same libiconv error), so I tried to specify all three required libraries (libxslt, libxml2 and libiconv):

gem install nokogiri -- --with-xslt-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/lib --with-xslt-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/include/libxslt --with-iconv-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14 --with-xml2-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.7.8

Now I got a different error! It was still an error but at least it was different. The make process failed with:

in /opt/local/lib/libz.1.dylib, file was built for unsupported file format which is not the architecture being linked (x86_64) for architecture x86_64

Uhh, what? After a lot of googling, I came across this miracle post: http://www.refresherate.com/2010/01/08/fixing-ld-warning-in-usrlocalliblibz-dylib-file-is-not-of-required-architecture/

Apparently OSX Lion ships with some bad versions of the libz library (libz.dylib, libz.1.dylib, libz.1.2.4.dylib) and and they need to be replaced with the latest versions from the Xcode SDK. The article explains it better than I can so read the above link for specific instructions.

Once these were replaced, I ran

gem install nokogiri -- --with-xslt-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/lib --with-xslt-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26/include/libxslt --with-iconv-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14 --with-xml2-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.7.8

again and all was well. I hope this helps someone else.

Solution 5

Just adding my voice to the crowd, but mkmf.log said something about not being able to find symbols for x86_64 architecture. I stumbled across this solution:

sudo env ARCHFLAGS="-arch x86_64" gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries

May not solve anything for the original asker, but this may help someone.

Side Note: nokogiri has been my highest barrier to using ruby applications. Every time someone depends on a different version I have to figure out how to build it. And my problem is different every time.

View more solutions

Comments

[PJP]

You don't show the exact commands you're trying to use, so we'll be shooting in the dark trying to answer. I always use gem install nokogiri, but then I use RVM to manage my Mac OS Ruby installs. libxml and libxslt are not related to iconv, so I'd recommend asking your question on Nokogiri-talk which is their support forum. I don't remember having any iconv issues when installing Nokogiri, and I have it on a bunch of machines.

[polarblau]

I've in the meantime opened a ticket at github: github.com/tenderlove/nokogiri/issues/442 which contains a little bit more information.

[sbs]

Here's a link to solve the same problem on OSX El Capitan, estebantorr.es/blog/2015/10/02/Nokogiri-in-El-Capitan

[PJP]

"sudo gem install nokogiri". Don't use sudo to install gems or modify the default Ruby. Instead use rbenv or RVM to manage a separate Ruby. This is covered multiple times on Stack Overflow.

[lifeisfoo]

Have you tried uninstalling xz before nokogiri install?

[Undistraction]

I had the same problem, but I found removing the following files from opt/local/lib: libz.dylib and libz.1.dylib and following the rest of these instructions did the trick.

[Steven Chanin]

Once I did the "brew install libiconv" and "brew link libiconv" I was able to install nokogiri successfully. I'm hoping that means I don't have a hard dependency to the specific version of libiconv installed by brew.

[Cory]

I think you do. github.com/mxcl/homebrew/wiki/The-brew-command : brew link symlinks to that specific version

[Cory]

I think /opt/local denotes a MacPorts installation. If you're running homebrew and Macports, you'll end up with some funkiness (as seen in your case). The best solution is to uninstall Macports, and use homebrew for your package manger.

[manmal]

thanks alot, i have a feeling that you saved me a lot of research!

[Seth Bro]

When I attempt brew install libiconv it spits out: Error: No available formula for libiconv Apple distributes libiconv with OS X, you can find it in /usr/lib. Some build scripts fail to detect it correctly, please check existing formulae for solutions.

[Seth Bro]

I should note that a system-wide gem install worked fine for me, but running bundler in the context of my project failed. I finally got it to work by following the advice here: gist.github.com/746966. I was unaware of bundle config commands that allow you to set switches on individual gems in your bundle.

[Cory]

Thanks Seth! Just in case that Gist goes AWOL -> you can also configure bundler to use library specific build flags. In this case: bundle config build.nokogiri --with-xml2-include=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.7.7/include/‌​libxml2 --with-xml2-lib=/usr/local/Cellar/libxml2/2.7.7/lib --with-xslt-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libxslt/1.1.26

[Pikachu]

Thanks very much. It saved my day too.

[Will]

Do i have to be somewhere specific in the file system before I do that stuff? Can't get this to work...

[Darren Weber]

Note: I'm working with rbenv, but this problem is specific to the gem installation and it should be fixed up stream!

[Michael Stalker]

If you're running Mavericks, you may need to install Xcode's command line tools: xcode-select --install. This fixed the problem for me.

[Admin]

Link and sudo will break things. They're keg-only for several reasons. Use brew formulas because there's way easier to maintain. brew create http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/libiconv/libiconv-1.13.1.tar.gz && brew install libiconv

[jAmi]

I agree with Michael Stalker, installing Xcode's command line tools did the trick for me too.

[Alien Life Form]

and if you're like @SethBro and have trouble with brew install libiconv, you may need to install libiconv manually: curl -O http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/libiconv/libiconv-1.13.1.tar.gz tar xvfz libiconv-1.13.1.tar.gz cd libiconv-1.13.1 ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.13.1 make sudo make install

[Geoff Evason]

If using bundler - you can run "bundle config build.nokogiri --use-system-libraries"

[Evolve]

As of today I was able to run $ brew install libiconv and it downloaded and installed libiconv-1.14.tar.gz

[Spundun]

Are you sure that the command gem install nokogiri succeeds? Wither with "already installed" message or a successful installation?

[aaron blythe]

Yes. I have reinstalled rvm and oh-my-zsh as I build things back up on my Mac. What I have not been able to figure out is how to get nokogiri installed on an rvm gemset. When I switch back to 'rvm use system' I can install nokogiri 1.6.3.1 over top of the 1.5.6 that comes on the OS X ruby 2.0.0p451.

[aaron blythe]

In the end for me it was stackoverflow.com/questions/19643153/… brew uninstall apple-gcc42 brew install apple-gcc42

[DaniG2k]

As @MichaelStalker noted, running xcode-select --install fixed it for me.

[Micah Winkelspecht]

I added a new simpler solution for Mavericks (OSX 10.9+) below.

[lamont]

@Cory this is incorrect. You want to 'brew unlink libiconv' and then simply 'gem install nokogiri' in order to build against the system libiconv instead of the homebrew one.

[lamont]

this answer has nothing to do with the C libiconv library that nokogiri's build depends upon. answer should really be removed.

[Cory]

@lamont: I'm not sure I'm following you. The old version of the system lib was the one giving trouble in the first place.

[Steve Benner]

If this was downvoted becuase of an error in the code, the fix was just one line and I retested the script; it is working on my system.

[lamont]

When I debugged this on my Mac (10.9 + Xcode 5.1.1) the problem was that /usr/local/include/iconv.h was being picked up and #define'ing iconv_open() to libiconv_open(). It then attempted to link against /usr/lib/libiconv.dylib which has iconv_open() and not libiconv_open() so the extconf.rb fails. This could be viewed as a problem with the system iconv, the homebrew iconv or the nokogiri extconf.rb. However, homebrew warns you twice that this is a bad idea, and requires you to use --force: gist.github.com/lamont-granquist/a6c231eb2e0b2d45641d -- so clearly brew link'ing it is wrong.

[lamont]

Also if you unlink homebrew and re-install xcode it works fine. I did initially see a problem where /usr/include/iconv.h was missing for me, but reinstalling xcode fixed that. There's no need to complicate things by trying to link nokogiri against homebrew's libiconv when you can fix the system libiconv and it works fine.

[jamesdlivesinatree]

If you still can't get brew install libiconv to get the right formula, use this: brew tap homebrew/dupes

[tolginho]

same solution is also works for 10.7.5: gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries=true --with-xml2-include=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Develop‌​er/Platforms/MacOSX.‌​platform/Developer/S‌​DKs/MacOSX10.7.sdk/u‌​sr/include/libxml2

[nils petersohn]

finally the "bundle config build.nokogiri --use-system-libraries" worked. I hate when that happens

[jmstone617]

I don't believe brew install libiconv is necessary -- I never bothered finding the proper package and this worked fine for me. Granted, it may have been on my machine from when I installed nokogiri with ruby 2.1.1 before.

[bjfletcher]

OS X Yosemite (10.10) I didn't have to do the brew stuff; just the xcode-select --install fixed this problem for me.

[Sam Figueroa]

In hindsight(which is always 20/20) I could have probably just adjusted my PATH env-variable to prepend rbenv first.

[Valerio Schiavoni]

I've libxml2 and libxslt installed with MacPorts, but there are no libiconv.* files in /usr/local/lib

[chadoh]

"In the AppStore click on updates and install the most recent version of the command-line tools (which apparently xcode-select --install does't do - sigh)" – no updates are available. How do I update my command-line tools from Xcode? They don't show up in the "Downloads" section of the preferences pane.

[Lloyd Dewolf]

Worked for me on Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite.

[yuяi]

Works on Yosemite. So glad I scrolled down and didn't use older answers.

[steel]

This worked for me without going to the app store. I updated command line tools and the OS (to Yosemite), then ran xcode-select --install and I was able to install Nokogiri.

[Zack Burt]

I had to do: xcode-select --install .. brew install libxml2 .. bundle config build.nokogiri --use-system-libraries .. bundle install

[ice cream]

huge timesaver, thanks for this tip! worked a charm for me on mavericks

[Rembrandt Q. Einstein]

why do I need the extra "--" in the middle of the gem install command?

[Filip Kis]

@RembrandtQ.Einstein because that is how gem install command works when you have extra options. Check guides.rubygems.org/command-reference/#gem-install

[Filip Kis]

Did you try using my solution? It does not require xcode intsalation.

[Dave Munger]

Thank you! It was a long search to get to this, and it doesn't involve adding a package managers on my mac. FWIW, I'm on Yosemite and this still works!

[cman77]

on OSX 10.8.5 brew unlink libiconv and then gem install nokogiri worked for me. It failed if I tried to brew link libiconv prior to gem install nokogiri

[Rivera]

Failed for me on 10.10.3. Xcode 6.3 with libxml2 version 2.6.21 or later is required!.

[Andre Zimpel]

this. is. it. --with-iconv-dir=/usr/local/Cellar/libiconv/1.14

[2upmedia]

Worked for me on 10.10.4. I also installed libxml2, libxslt, and libiconv through MacPorts.

[Johannes]

This is the official solution from the Nokogiri docs (nokogiri.org/tutorials/installing_nokogiri.html#mac_os_x), and the only one that worked on El Capitan. The accepted solution did not work there.

[jbnunn]

Agreed with your nokogiri sentiment. Every. Single. Time.

[bwoebi]

Didn't work for me in this form, but ARCHFLAGS="-arch x86_64" sudo gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries worked ...

[ryudice]

This worked for me as well, much easier solution, I didnt use the ARCHFLAGS, just sudo gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries

[aaaarrgh]

it was the combo of --use-system-libraries and --with-iconv-dir that did it for me

[Polsonby]

Worked for me on El Capitan, so infuriating. Thanks for the link to Nokogiri docs @Johannes - really useful. Everyone should stay away from solutions that say to "use system libraries" - bad advice.

[PartialOrder]

Confirming gem install nokogiri -- --with-iconv-dir=/opt/local works just fine with MacPorts libiconv installed

[user24601]

Anyone know why I might be getting this on Mojave after a recent update to 10.14.4? I've been building nokogiri via bundler without problems since at least Yosemite. Now this. Yes, XCode Command Line Tools are installed. Thx.

[mentalic]

gem install nokogiri -- --use-system-libraries worked like a charm

[ryanc]

Worked without the --with-xml2-include option for me on Catalina... gem install nokogiri --version=1.6.6.2 -- --use-system-libraries

[Jack R-G]

This solution worked for me, with the exception that I got 1.16 instead of 1.14.

[LucasM]

Worked on BigSur and Nokogiri 1.6.3.1! Thanks

[Евгений Масленков]

This works for me in 2021 on Catalina. Thank you!

[devjme]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! This is the only thing that worked for me on Big Sur!!!!!!!

[babie]

this worked for me on mac m1