The Digital Press

RubyGems installation defaults have been broken for 15 years due to gems being installed in system directories rather than user directories, causing permission errors. Despite a simple one-line patch solution existing, project leadership has refused to accept it, leaving many users to manually fix the issue.

Why it matters: Default gem installation in system directories causes frequent permission errors and broken installs for most users.

The big picture: RubyGems and Bundler are poorly coordinated projects with conflicting behaviors and configurations.

The stakes: Persistent refusal to fix the root cause forces users to apply manual workarounds indefinitely.

Commenters say: Top comments express frustration with developer egos, lack of cohesion between projects, and dismissive attitudes toward user environments.