problem installing ruby/readline

[Philip Trauring]

I just installed macports and the first thing I wanted to install was  
the new version of ruby. I ran the install for ruby which installed  
several dependencies, when it got to readline I got the following  
message:

--->  Activating readline 5.2.012_1
Error: Target org.macports.activate returned: Image error: /opt/local/ 
lib/libreadline.5.2.dylib already exists and does not belong to a  
registered port.  Unable to activate port readline.
Error: The following dependencies failed to build: readline
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.

Where it then ended the install. I tried running the install again and  
this time it seemed to install ruby without dependencies (since they  
were already installed), but it ended as:

port activate ruby at 1.8.7-p22_2+thread_hooks
Port command started with PID 28242
--->  Activating ruby 1.8.7-p22_2+thread_hooks
Error: port activate failed: Image error: ruby @1.8.7- 
p22_2+thread_hooks is already active.

Curious if was properly installed I ran upgrade as follows:

port upgrade ruby +thread_hooks
Port command started with PID 28258
--->  Activating readline 5.2.012_1
Error: Activating readline 5.2.012_1 failed: Image error: /opt/local/ 
lib/libreadline.5.2.dylib already exists and does not belong to a  
registered port.  Unable to activate port readline.

Which revealed the original readline problem. I then tried to  
uninstall readline, but was stopped because ruby depends on it. I  
figured I could force-uninstall is and then reinstall it. So I force  
uninstalled it and then got this when trying to re-install:

port install readline
Port command started with PID 28316
--->  Installing readline 5.2.012_1
--->  Activating readline 5.2.012_1
Error: Target org.macports.activate returned: Image error: /opt/local/ 
lib/libreadline.5.2.dylib already exists and does not belong to a  
registered port.  Unable to activate port readline.
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.

Any ideas here? I saw a similar problem in the archives from last  
year, but I didn't see a solution.

Thanks,

Philip

p.s. I'm new to using ports, but I guess the ruby that is installed  
does not replace the ruby already on my system? I tried running ruby -- 
version but saw the same version as before...