Попробуйте запустить JRuby в режиме 1.9. Файл gemspec Rails (и, возможно, других?) Неправильно анализируется yecht (старым совместимым с syck механизмом YAML). psy (новый, доступный в режиме 1.9) должен справиться с этим. Поскольку похоже, что у syck MRI есть схожая проблема с gemspec, я подозреваю, что MRI 1.8 также не может установить рельсы.
Например:
$ GEM_HOME=$HOME/gems GEM_PATH=$GEM_HOME jruby --1.9 -S gem install rails -v 3.2.0.rc1
Fetching: i18n-0.6.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: multi_json-1.0.4.gem (100%)
Fetching: activesupport-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: builder-3.0.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: activemodel-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: rack-1.3.6.gem (100%)
Fetching: rack-cache-1.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: rack-test-0.6.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: journey-1.0.0.rc4.gem (100%)
Fetching: hike-1.2.1.gem (100%)
Fetching: tilt-1.3.3.gem (100%)
Fetching: sprockets-2.1.2.gem (100%)
Fetching: erubis-2.7.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: actionpack-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: arel-3.0.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: tzinfo-0.3.31.gem (100%)
Fetching: activerecord-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: activeresource-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: mime-types-1.17.2.gem (100%)
Fetching: polyglot-0.3.3.gem (100%)
Fetching: treetop-1.4.10.gem (100%)
Fetching: mail-2.3.0.gem (100%)
Fetching: actionmailer-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: rake-0.9.2.2.gem (100%)
Fetching: thor-0.14.6.gem (100%)
Fetching: rack-ssl-1.3.2.gem (100%)
Fetching: json-1.6.4-java.gem (100%)
Fetching: rdoc-3.12.gem (100%)
Depending on your version of ruby, you may need to install ruby rdoc/ri data:
<= 1.8.6 : unsupported
= 1.8.7 : gem install rdoc-data; rdoc-data --install
= 1.9.1 : gem install rdoc-data; rdoc-data --install
>= 1.9.2 : nothing to do! Yay!
Fetching: railties-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Fetching: bundler-1.0.21.gem (100%)
Fetching: rails-3.2.0.rc1.gem (100%)
Successfully installed i18n-0.6.0
Successfully installed multi_json-1.0.4
Successfully installed activesupport-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed builder-3.0.0
Successfully installed activemodel-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed rack-1.3.6
Successfully installed rack-cache-1.1
Successfully installed rack-test-0.6.1
Successfully installed journey-1.0.0.rc4
Successfully installed hike-1.2.1
Successfully installed tilt-1.3.3
Successfully installed sprockets-2.1.2
Successfully installed erubis-2.7.0
Successfully installed actionpack-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed arel-3.0.0.rc1
Successfully installed tzinfo-0.3.31
Successfully installed activerecord-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed activeresource-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed mime-types-1.17.2
Successfully installed polyglot-0.3.3
Successfully installed treetop-1.4.10
Successfully installed mail-2.3.0
Successfully installed actionmailer-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed rake-0.9.2.2
Successfully installed thor-0.14.6
Successfully installed rack-ssl-1.3.2
Successfully installed json-1.6.4-java
Successfully installed rdoc-3.12
Successfully installed railties-3.2.0.rc1
Successfully installed bundler-1.0.21
Successfully installed rails-3.2.0.rc1
31 gems installed