---
title: About the gem Resource
platform: os
---

# gem

Use the `gem` Chef InSpec audit resource to test if a global Gem package is installed.

<br>

## Availability

### Installation

This resource is distributed along with Chef InSpec itself. You can use it automatically.

### Version

This resource first became available in v1.0.0 of InSpec.

## Syntax

A `gem` resource block declares a package and (optionally) a package version:

    describe gem('gem_package_name', 'gem_binary') do
      it { should be_installed }
    end

where

* `('gem_package_name')` must specify a Gem package, such as `'rubocop'`
* `('gem_binary')` can specify the path to a non-default gem binary, defaults to `'gem'`
* `be_installed` is a valid matcher for this resource

<br>

## Resource Property Examples

The following examples show how to use this Chef InSpec audit resource.

### Verify that a gem package is installed, with a specific version

    describe gem('rubocop') do
      it { should be_installed }
      its('version') { should eq '0.33.0' }
    end

### Verify that a particular version is installed when there are multiple versions installed

    describe gem('rubocop') do
      it { should be_installed }
      its('versions') { should include /0.51.0/ }
      its('versions.count') { should_not be > 3 }
    end


### Verify that a gem package is not installed

    describe gem('rubocop') do
      it { should_not be_installed }
    end

### Verify that a gem package is installed in an omnibus environment

    describe gem('pry', '/opt/ruby-2.3.1/embedded/bin/gem') do
      it { should be_installed }
    end

### Verify that a gem package is installed in a chef omnibus environment

    describe gem('chef-sugar', :chef) do
      it { should be_installed }
    end

### Verify that a gem package is installed in a chef-server omnibus environment

    describe gem('knife-backup', :chef_server) do
      it { should be_installed }
    end

<br>

## Properties

### version (String)

The `version` property returns a string of the default version on the system:

    its('version') { should eq '0.33.0' }

### versions

The `versions` property returns an array of strings of all the versions of the gem installed on the system:

    its('versions') { should include /0.33/ }


## Matchers

For a full list of available matchers, please visit our [matchers page](https://www.inspec.io/docs/reference/matchers/).

### be_installed

The `be_installed` matcher tests if the named Gem package is installed:

    it { should be_installed }