Watir will not install with XP x86 or Win 7 x64. Getting error building native extension for the FFI gem - ruby

Question

I am currently trying to install watir on my PC but currently hitting the errors below and I cannot think why this is happening?
I am following the steps below to install:
Download ruby 1.9.2:
http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/downloads/
Install.
Download RubyGems:
http://rubygems.org/pages/download
Install.
Download the DevKit so that native extensions can be built:
ruby dk.rb init
ruby dk.rb review
ruby dk.rb install
gem update --system (or to do more quickly: gem update --system --no-rdoc --no-ri)
gem install watir
When I do this all I get is the error log below. Does anyone know how I can get Watir to install please?
C:\Documents and Settings\IE User\Desktop\Ruby and Eclipse>gem install watir
Fetching: win32-api-1.4.8-x86-mingw32.gem (100%)
Fetching: windows-api-0.4.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: windows-pr-1.2.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: win32-process-0.6.5.gem (100%)
Fetching: xml-simple-1.1.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: hoe-2.12.4.gem (100%)
Fetching: s4t-utils-1.0.4.gem (100%)
WARNING: s4t-utils-1.0.4 has an invalid nil value for #cert_chain
Fetching: builder-3.0.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: user-choices-1.1.6.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: commonwatir-2.0.4.gem (100%)
Fetching: nokogiri-1.5.0-x86-mingw32.gem (100%)
Fetching: ffi-1.0.11.gem (100%)
Temporarily enhancing PATH to include DevKit...
Building native extensions. This could take a while...
ERROR: Error installing watir:
ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.
C:/Ruby192/bin/ruby.exe extconf.rb
checking for ffi.h... no
checking for ffi.h in /usr/local/include... no
checking for rb_thread_blocking_region()... yes
checking for ruby_thread_has_gvl_p()... yes
checking for ruby_native_thread_p()... yes
checking for rb_thread_call_with_gvl()... yes
creating extconf.h
creating Makefile
make
C:/Ruby192/bin/ruby -e "puts 'EXPORTS', 'Init_ffi_c'" > ffi_c-i386-mingw32.def
Configuring libffi
make -C "/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/ffi_c/libffi"
make[1]: Entering directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi'
make "AR_FLAGS=" "CC_FOR_BUILD=" "CFLAGS=" "CXXFLAGS=" "CFLAGS_FOR_BUILD=" "CFLA
GS_FOR_TARGET=" "INSTALL=/usr/bin/install -c" "INSTALL_DATA=/usr/bin/install -c
-m 644" "INSTALL_PROGRAM=/usr/bin/install -c" "INSTALL_SCRIPT=/usr/bin/install -
c" "JC1FLAGS=" "LDFLAGS=" "LIBCFLAGS=" "LIBCFLAGS_FOR_TARGET=" "MAKE=make" "MAKE
INFO=/bin/sh /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/ffi_c/libffi/mis
sing --run makeinfo " "PICFLAG=" "PICFLAG_FOR_TARGET=" "RUNTESTFLAGS=" "SHELL=/b
in/sh" "exec_prefix=/usr/local" "infodir=/usr/local/share/info" "libdir=/usr/loc
al/lib" "prefix=/usr/local" "AR=ar" "AS=as" "CC=gcc" "CXX=g++" "LD=c:/documents
and settings/ie user/desktop/ruby and eclipse/mingw/mingw32/bin/ld.exe" "NM=/usr
/mingw/bin/nm" "RANLIB=ranlib" "DESTDIR=" all-recursive
make[2]: Entering directory/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi'
Making all in include
make[3]: Entering directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi/include'
make[3]: Nothing to be done forall'.
make[3]: Leaving directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi/include'
Making all in testsuite
make[3]: Entering directory/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi/testsuite'
make[3]: Nothing to be done for all'.
make[3]: Leaving directory/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi/testsuite'
Making all in man
make[3]: Entering directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi/man'
make[3]: Nothing to be done forall'.
make[3]: Leaving directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi/man'
make[3]: Entering directory/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/
ffi_c/libffi'
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/debug.lo src/debug.c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/debug.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/debug.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/prep_cif.lo src/prep_ci
f.c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/prep_cif.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/prep_cif.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/types.lo src/types.c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/types.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/types.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/raw_api.lo src/raw_api.
c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/raw_api.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/raw_api.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/java_raw_api.lo src/jav
a_raw_api.c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/java_raw_api.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/java_r
aw_api.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/closures.lo src/closure
s.c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/closures.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/.libs/closures.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./inc
lude -Iinclude -I./src -Wall -g -fexceptions -c -o src/x86/ffi.lo src/x86/ffi.
c
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -Wa
ll -g -fexceptions -c src/x86/ffi.c -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/x86/.libs/ffi.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --mode=compile gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iin
clude -I./src -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -c -o src/x86/win32.lo src/x86
/win32.S
libtool: compile: gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -Iinclude -I./src -I.
-I./include -Iinclude -I./src -c src/x86/win32.S -DDLL_EXPORT -DPIC -o src/x86
/.libs/win32.o
/bin/sh ./libtool --tag=CC --mode=link gcc -Wall -g -fexceptions -version-inf
o grep -v '^#' ./libtool-version -no-undefined -o libffi.la -rpath /usr/local
/lib src/debug.lo src/prep_cif.lo src/types.lo src/raw_api.lo src/java_raw_api.l
o src/closures.lo src/x86/ffi.lo src/x86/win32.lo
libtool: link: gcc -o .libs/libffi.dll.a src/.libs/debug.o src/.libs/prep_cif.o
src/.libs/types.o src/.libs/raw_api.o src/.libs/java_raw_api.o src/.libs/closur
es.o src/x86/.libs/ffi.o src/x86/.libs/win32.o echo "X" | /usr/bin/sed -e 1
s/^X// -e 's/ -lc$//' -link -dll
c:/documents and settings/ie user/desktop/ruby and eclipse/mingw/bin/../lib/gcc/
mingw32/4.5.2/../../../../mingw32/bin/ld.exe: cannot find -link
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[3]: *** [libffi.la] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory /c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi'
make[2]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi'
make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/f
fi_c/libffi'
make: *** ["/c/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/ffi_c/libffi"/.li
bs/libffi_convenience.a] Error 2
Gem files will remain installed in C:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.1
1 for inspection.
Results logged to C:/Ruby192/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.0.11/ext/ffi_c/gem_m
ake.out
I am totally at a loss as to how to rectify this. I have tried this on both XP x86 and Win 7 X64 to no avail.
Thanks in advance
Andy

Answer 1

the later versions of FFI have been a source of problems for some, both because they no longer include a native windows version and have to build one on the fly, but also due to some incompatabilities with watir or webdrivers
Try doing this
gem uninstall ffi
(just in case there is anything that managhed to get installed)
gem install ffi -v 1.0.9
Then install watir or watir-webdriver
Update:
The latest versions of FFI work fine with Watir and Watir-Webdriver, however do not come 'precompiled' as earlier versions did. So to install them on a PC If you do not already have it, you will need to get Devkit. Once you have devkit installed and have run the setup scripts for it, you can use gem install ffi to get the latest FFI gem installed and it should work just fine.

Answer 2

I have updated my instructions on how to install Watir on Windows. If you follow them you will be able to install the latest versions of Ruby, Watir and ffi.
https://github.com/zeljkofilipin/watirbook/blob/master/installation/windows.md