bundle install returns "Could not locate Gemfile"

I'm new to Rails and am currently working through a guide. The guide states:

Use a text editor to update the Gemfile needed by Bundler with the contents of Listing 2.1.

source ' gem 'rails', '3.2.3' group :development do gem 'sqlite3', '1.3.5' end # Gems used only for assets and not required # in production environments by default. group :assets do gem 'sass-rails', '3.2.4' gem 'coffee-rails', '3.2.2' gem 'uglifier', '1.2.3' end gem 'jquery-rails', '2.0.0' group :production do gem 'pg', '0.12.2' end 

We then install and include the gems using the bundle install command:

 $ bundle install --without production 

If Bundler complains about no such file to load -- readline (LoadError) try adding gem ’rb-readline’ to your Gemfile.)

I followed the steps even adding on gem 'rb-readline' to the Gemfile, but apparently the file can't be found and when I go to my text editor I do see the Gemfile itself. I noticed that they made me put gem 'rails', 3.2.3 and my version of Rails is 3.2.1 so I tried changing it to 3.2.1 but that didn't work either.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

11 Answers

You just need to change directories to your app, THEN run bundle install :)

You may also indicate the path to the gemfile in the same command e.g.

BUNDLE_GEMFILE="MyProject/Gemfile.ios" bundle install 

I had this problem as well on an OSX machine. I discovered that rails was not installed... which surprised me as I thought OSX always came with Rails. To install rails

• sudo gem install rails
• to install jekyll I also needed sudo
• sudo gem install jekyll bundler
• cd ~/Sites
• jekyll new <foldername>
• cd <foldername> OR cd !$ (that is magic ;)
• bundle install
• bundle exec jekyll serve
• Then in your browser just go to and it really should be running

You must be in the same directory of Gemfile

I had this problem on Ubuntu 18.04. I updated the gem

sudo gem install rails sudo gem install jekyll sudo gem install jekyll bundler cd ~/desiredFolder jekyll new <foldername> cd <foldername> OR bundle init bundle install bundle add jekyll bundle exec jekyll serve 

All worked and goto your browser just go to and it really should be running

When I had similar problem gem update --system helped me. Run this before bundle install

In my case this worked:

• cd /usr/bin
• touch Gemfile
• Now you can then run bundle install.

1. Make sure that the file name is Capitalized Gemfile instead of gemfile.
2. Make sure you're in the same directory as the Gemfile.

Search for the Gemfile file in your project, go to that directory and then run "bundle install". prior to running this command make sure you have installed the gem "sudo gem install bundler"

sudo gem install rails 

my problem solved, just this code.

Think more about what you are installing and navigate Gemfile folder, then try using sudo bundle install