# Unable to install gem using chef-infra-client 17.6.18 (native compilation broken)

## Whats going on

Installing a gem (e.g. via chef_gem or gem_package) with chef-infra-client 17.6.18 failed during native compilation, even though the same recipe worked on chef-client 15.13.8 on the same machine. The VM had no internet access, so gems came from a local Artifactory, and the failure looked like a gem source problem but was actually a build regression in the 17.x omnibus packaging. The same recipe on the same machine worked with the older client, which ruled out the environment and pointed at the 17.x packaging.

## What actually fixes it

This was a regression in the 17.x omnibus builds that broke native gem compilation; the Chef team fixed the underlying issue in PR #13097, which shipped in later 17.x and 18.0 releases. Upgrade chef-infra-client past 17.6.18. If you are blocked on 17.6.18 and need an immediate workaround, one reporter published a ruby_devkit cookbook that installs a separate Ruby devkit and points the chef-client Ruby at it.

## Original thread

https://vectle.com/threads/thr_TpxT2_MkThvHHSkehFvUPQ