    # File lib/rubygems.rb, line 123
      def self.activate(gem, *version_requirements)
        if version_requirements.empty? then
          version_requirements = Gem::Requirement.default
        end

        unless gem.respond_to?(:name) and
               gem.respond_to?(:version_requirements) then
          gem = Gem::Dependency.new(gem, version_requirements)
        end

        matches = Gem.source_index.find_name(gem.name, gem.version_requirements)
        report_activate_error(gem) if matches.empty?

        if @loaded_specs[gem.name] then
          # This gem is already loaded.  If the currently loaded gem is not in the
          # list of candidate gems, then we have a version conflict.
          existing_spec = @loaded_specs[gem.name]

          unless matches.any? { |spec| spec.version == existing_spec.version } then
            raise Gem::Exception,
                  "can't activate #{gem}, already activated #{existing_spec.full_name}"
          end

          return false
        end

        # new load
        spec = matches.last
        return false if spec.loaded?

        spec.loaded = true
        @loaded_specs[spec.name] = spec

        # Load dependent gems first
        spec.runtime_dependencies.each do |dep_gem|
          activate dep_gem
        end

        # bin directory must come before library directories
        spec.require_paths.unshift spec.bindir if spec.bindir

        require_paths = spec.require_paths.map do |path|
          File.join spec.full_gem_path, path
        end

        sitelibdir = ConfigMap[:sitelibdir]

        # gem directories must come after -I and ENV['RUBYLIB']
        insert_index = load_path_insert_index

        if insert_index then
          # gem directories must come after -I and ENV['RUBYLIB']
          $LOAD_PATH.insert(insert_index, *require_paths)
        else
          # we are probably testing in core, -I and RUBYLIB don't apply
          $LOAD_PATH.unshift(*require_paths)
        end

        return true
      end