Phoenix: Installation fails, module :ssl is not available

[kgish]

Followed the installation instructions on the phoenix website, but get the following error:

 $  mix do deps.get, compile
Could not start Hex. Try fetching a new version with `mix local.hex` or uninstalling it with `mix archive.uninstall hex.ez`
** (UndefinedFunctionError) undefined function: :ssl.start/0 (module :ssl is not available)
    :ssl.start()
    lib/hex.ex:16: Hex.start_api/0
    lib/hex.ex:8: Hex.start/0
    (mix) lib/mix/tasks/local.hex.ex:69: Mix.Tasks.Local.Hex.start/0
    (mix) lib/mix/dep/loader.ex:117: Mix.Dep.Loader.with_scm_and_app/1
    (mix) lib/mix/dep/loader.ex:86: Mix.Dep.Loader.to_dep/3
    (elixir) lib/enum.ex:977: Enum."-map/2-lc$^0/1-0-"/2
    (mix) lib/mix/dep/loader.ex:234: Mix.Dep.Loader.mix_children/1

[josevalim]

Have you installed Erlang using some Linux distribution? Some of the distributions offer Erlang without the ssl package which needs to be explicitly installed with packages like erlang-ssl.

[kgish]

(Wow, what an honor getting a response from the man himself. Cool)

Thanks for the tip, I use the ubuntu deb package. Had to install the inets as well. The following did the trick for me:

$ sudo apt-get install erlang-ssl
$ sudo apt-get install erlang-inets

This should probably be added to the installation instructions in the documentation as it can be somewhat confusing for newbies.

[josevalim]

:+1: to leave it as a note there! /cc @jeregrine @lancehalvorsen

[lancehalvorsen]

Thanks @kgish for reporting both the problem and the fix. :+1:

I'll get this in the repo and the site this morning. /cc @josevalim @jeregrine

[kgish]

Is the website also available in github somewhere? That way we can create PRs directly.

[lancehalvorsen]

@kgish yes, the repo is here: https://github.com/lancehalvorsen/phoenix-guides

The files are, obviously, in markdown which gets published to the site. I've fixed this one already, but please feel free to send pull requests in the future. PRs == <3 <3 <3 :)

[travisvalentine]

FYI I'm getting this same error but have erlang-ssl and erlang-inets installed. On Ubuntu 16.0.4.1, with Elixir version:

elixir -v
Erlang/OTP 19 [erts-8.2] [source] [64-bit] [async-threads:10] [kernel-poll:false]

Elixir 1.3.4

Here's the output of apt list --installed | grep erlang:

erlang/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed]
erlang-appmon/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-asn1/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-base/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-common-test/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-corba/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-crypto/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-debugger/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-dev/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-dialyzer/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-diameter/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-edoc/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-eldap/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-erl-docgen/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-et/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-eunit/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-examples/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed,automatic]
erlang-gs/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-ic/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-ic-java/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed,automatic]
erlang-inets/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-inviso/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-jinterface/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed,automatic]
erlang-megaco/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-mnesia/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-mode/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed,automatic]
erlang-observer/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-odbc/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-os-mon/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-parsetools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-percept/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-pman/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-public-key/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-reltool/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-runtime-tools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-snmp/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-solutions/now 1.0 all [installed,local]
erlang-src/unknown,unknown,now 1:19.2-1 all [installed,automatic]
erlang-ssh/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-ssl/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-syntax-tools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-test-server/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-toolbar/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-tools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-tv/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-typer/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-webtool/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-wx/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-xmerl/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]

[ericmj]

@travisvalentine Is it possible that you have multiple erlang installations on your machine? What happens if you start erl and run ssl:start().?

[travisvalentine]

@ericmj Thanks for the reply. Here's what I get:

# erl
Erlang/OTP 19 [erts-8.2] [source] [64-bit] [async-threads:10] [kernel-poll:false]

Eshell V8.2  (abort with ^G)
1> ssl:start().
ok

I also attempted to just install with esl-erlang and get the same error. Here's my list of installed packages after installing esl-erlang, erlang-inets, and erlang-ssl:

# apt list --installed | grep erlang

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

erlang-asn1/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-base/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-crypto/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-inets/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-mnesia/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-public-key/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-runtime-tools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]
erlang-solutions/now 1.0 all [installed,local]
erlang-ssl/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed]
erlang-syntax-tools/unknown,now 1:19.2-1 amd64 [installed,automatic]

FYI the full error is:

> Ecto.Adapters.SQL.query(MyApp.Repo, "select * from users;", [])
** (exit) exited in: :gen_server.call(#PID<0.1217.0>, {:checkout, #Reference<0.0.1.1421>, true, 15000}, 5000)
    ** (EXIT) an exception was raised:
        ** (UndefinedFunctionError) function :ssl.connect/3 is undefined (module :ssl is not available)
            :ssl.connect(#Port<0.2210>, [], 5000)
            (postgrex) lib/postgrex/protocol.ex:398: Postgrex.Protocol.ssl_connect/2
            (postgrex) lib/postgrex/protocol.ex:361: Postgrex.Protocol.handshake/2
            (db_connection) lib/db_connection/connection.ex:134: DBConnection.Connection.connect/2
            (connection) lib/connection.ex:622: Connection.enter_connect/5
            (stdlib) proc_lib.erl:247: :proc_lib.init_p_do_apply/3
    (db_connection) lib/db_connection/connection.ex:54: DBConnection.Connection.checkout/2
    (db_connection) lib/db_connection.ex:919: DBConnection.checkout/2
    (db_connection) lib/db_connection.ex:741: DBConnection.run/3
    (db_connection) lib/db_connection.ex:1132: DBConnection.run_meter/3
    (db_connection) lib/db_connection.ex:584: DBConnection.prepare_execute/4
         (postgrex) lib/postgrex.ex:117: Postgrex.query/4
             (ecto) lib/ecto/adapters/postgres/connection.ex:32: Ecto.Adapters.Postgres.Connection.query/4
           (stdlib) timer.erl:197: :timer.tc/3

[travisvalentine]

@ericmj Shall I open a new issue for this?

[ericmj]

@travisvalentine I definitely think something is wrong with your installation unfortunately. How do you start your phoenix project? Also try calling :ssl.start() from iex.

[travisvalentine]

I'm using edeliver so I start/stop through that. Otherwise I run bin/my_app start. Running bin/my_app remote_console and trying :ssl.start() throws an error:

> :ssl.start()
** (UndefinedFunctionError) function :ssl.start/0 is undefined (module :ssl is not available)
    :ssl.start()

Since I have erlang-ssl installed in the list above, I may just wipe the install and start fresh.

[ericmj]

Oh, this is for a release? That's useful information :). A release usually bundles its own erlang installation instead of using the one on the system. You need to add the :ssl application to the list of applications here: http://www.phoenixframework.org/docs/advanced-deployment#section-configure-our-applications

[travisvalentine]

@ericmj Wow. What a miss on my part. Thanks!!