They just need to rename the environment variable into something like RAILS_VERSION instead, as suggested by several commenters in that issue. Such a simple fix, I don't understand why they won't do that.
1) VERSION is a horrible name for a non-transient environment variable. It's fine if you're just using it on a per command basis (as rails does with 'rake db:migrate VERSION=123') but some app has stuck a ridiculously generic word into a global namespace.
2) (trivial) RAILS_VERSION would make no sense because it's the migration number you want to set your database too.
Any non-transient variable that you need to set should be specific enough to not conflict with other apps using the same namespace.
If anyone should go fixing things it's the fool who permanently stuck a variable called VERSION in their users global environment hash.
I agree that there is a problem and that it is affecting rails users. But, if for example some whacko was running around slapping all rails users with large fish would it be the rails dev teams responsibility to stop him? No.
No development team should have to tailor their app to compensate for the stupidity of one ignorant developer who couldn't think about the ecosystem that we all have to share. The only exception to this is when the idiot developer got a job building your OS...
Meh, using an environment variable named VERSION isn't too bright, and if it's for a single command then it should be a command line argument. RAILS_VERSION may not be appropriate but it's more intelligent than using an extremely generic and common name like VERSION.
They just need to rename the environment variable into something like RAILS_VERSION instead, as suggested by several commenters in that issue. Such a simple fix, I don't understand why they won't do that.