Can't update compass version

Question

I run this command, sudo gem install compass --pre

And this give me an error

Fetching: sass-3.3.14.gem (100%)
Building native extensions.  This could take a while...
ERROR:  Error installing compass:
ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

/usr/bin/ruby1.9.1 extconf.rb
/usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require': cannot load such file -- mkmf (LoadError)
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
from extconf.rb:4:in `<main>'

Gem files will remain installed in /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.9.3 for inspection.
Results logged to /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/ffi-1.9.3/ext/ffi_c/gem_make.out

current compass version - 
Compass 0.12.7 (Alnilam)

current ruby version -
ruby 1.9.3p194 (2012-04-20 revision 35410) [x86_64-linux]

sass version -
Sass 3.3.14 (Maptastic Maple)

gem version -
1.8.23

Answer 1

Just incase no one sees @ymonad's comment, for me the fix was:

apt-get update
apt-get install ruby1.9.1-dev
apt-get install ruby-dev
apt-get install build-essential