# downgrade rails 3.1 project from ruby 1.9.2 to 1.8.7 **URL:** \ **Category:** rubyonrails-talk\ **Created:** [October 4, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145 "2011-10-04T04:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![11155](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/d26b3c/32.png) [@11155](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11155)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/1 "2011-10-04T04:38:23Z")
Hey this may be a dumb question but I am attempting to downgrade my ruby version to 1.8.7 for my rails 3.1 project, since that is the version supported by my hosting solution. I have uninstalled 1.9.2 and installed ruby 1.8.7 on my dev machine and when I ran bundle install and my gems installed just fine. But when I tried to run 'rails server' I got some funny errors: Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/execjs-1.2.4.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-03 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/rack-cache-1.0.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-27 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/tilt-1.3.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-25 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/execjs-1.2.4.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-03 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/rack-cache-1.0.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-27 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/tilt-1.3.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-25 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/execjs-1.2.4.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-03 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/rack-cache-1.0.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-27 00:00:00.000000000Z" Invalid gemspec in [C:/Ruby187/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/specifications/tilt-1.3.3.gemspec]: invalid date format in specification: "2011-08-25 00:00:00.000000000Z" ←[31mCould not find rack-cache-1.0.3 in any of the sources←[0m ←[33mRun `bundle install` to install missing gems.←[0m I just went through all the steps to install 1.8.7 and 'gem install rails' to get everything in order, and it looked like it installed rack-cache just fine 'Successfully installed rack-cache-1.0.3' If anyone has any tips on how to clean this up and successfully downgrade my ruby version I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Dan6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dan6](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Dan6)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/2 "2011-10-04T12:08:01Z")
... > If anyone has any tips on how to clean this up and successfully downgrade my ruby version I would greatly appreciate it! I think you want to use RVM - [http://beginrescueend.com/](http://beginrescueend.com/) Dan Nachbar ---
**Author:** ![walterdavis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/rubyonrails/user_avatar/discuss.rubyonrails.org/walterdavis/32/705_2.png) [@walterdavis](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/walterdavis)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/3 "2011-10-04T14:15:12Z")
> ... > > > If anyone has any tips on how to clean this up and successfully downgrade my ruby version I would greatly appreciate it! > > I think you want to use RVM - [http://beginrescueend.com/](http://beginrescueend.com/) +1, but doesn't 3.1 require 1.9.2 or better? I could swear that's a given. Walter ---
**Author:** ![11155](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/d26b3c/32.png) [@11155](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11155)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/4 "2011-10-04T14:22:35Z")
> +1, but doesn't 3.1 require 1.9.2 or better? I could swear that's a given. Is Rails 3.1 only available on 1.9.2? I was going by this: > **[Getting Started with Rails — Ruby on Rails Guides](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/getting_started.html)** > > Getting Started with RailsThis guide covers getting up and running with Ruby on Rails.After reading this guide, you will know: How to install Rails, create a new Rails application, and connect your application to a database. The general layout of a... which says it only requires 1.8.7 or higher, but to avoid a couple 1.8.7 versions because they don't work. ---
**Author:** ![Colin\_Law1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Colin\_Law1](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Colin_Law1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/5 "2011-10-04T14:28:15Z")
I think I saw that an upcoming version of rails will require 1.9.2 but up till then 1.8.7 is fine. Colin ---
**Author:** ![11155](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/d26b3c/32.png) [@11155](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11155)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/6 "2011-10-04T15:30:04Z")
> I think you want to use RVM - [http://beginrescueend.com/](http://beginrescueend.com/) So if I use rvm or pik (on windows: [GitHub - vertiginous/pik: Ruby version manager for Windows](https://github.com/vertiginous/pik/)) that should clear up those problems? ---
**Author:** ![Dan6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dan6](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Dan6)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/7 "2011-10-04T16:08:45Z")
Sorry, yes pik for Windows. I assume pik works comparably. (I know almost nothing about Windows.) From what you've sent (and the fact that I am not a windows guy) it's a little hard for me to guess how deep a hole you are in and consequently if starting with RVM/pik now will fix what all that is broken. My point is more that having RVM/pik in place eliminates the need to uninstall/reinstall in order to dynamically switch versions. So, if I were in your shoes, I'd set up RVM/pik then install ruby 1.8.7 (and ruby 1.9.2 if you wish) and rails 3.1, and try again. Dan Nachbar ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_A\_Maxwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@Allen\_A\_Maxwell](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Allen_A_Maxwell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/downgrade-rails-3-1-project-from-ruby-1-9-2-to-1-8-7/61145/8 "2011-10-04T16:14:58Z")
Qualify this with : I am a ruby and rails newbie so for what it's worth: I recently started the rails journey and was working in windows using cygwin etc... I switched to ubuntu and originally was trying to make ruby 1.8.7 work with 3.1.0 and it just wasn't happening... can't remember the details of the problems I was having but they were numerous... I switched to 1.9.2 and rails 3.1.0 and it's been pretty smooth sailing since... still haven't gotten great results in windows but haven't spent much time trying since I got ubuntu working and solid. I do have a friend who works in windows (not sure if he does just ruby or does rails too though).... but he uses mingw which I set up and did feel better about.... Fwiw... Max [mailto:rubyonrails-talk@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Colin Law