boringcache/ruby-action

Cache once. Reuse everywhere.

BoringCache is a universal build artifact cache for CI, Docker, and local development. It stores and restores directories you choose so build outputs, dependencies, and tool caches can be reused across environments.

BoringCache does not run builds and is not tied to any build tool. It works with any language, framework, or workflow by caching directories explicitly selected by the user.

Caches are content-addressed and verified before restore. If identical content already exists, uploads are skipped. The same cache can be reused in GitHub Actions, Docker/BuildKit, and on developer machines using the same CLI.

This action installs Ruby and configures BoringCache to cache its artifacts. It uses the same BoringCache CLI and cache format as all other BoringCache actions.

Quick start

- uses: boringcache/ruby-action@v1
  with:
    workspace: my-org/my-project
  env:
    BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN }}

- run: bundle install
- run: bundle exec rake test

Mental model

This action caches the Ruby directories you explicitly choose.

• Ruby is installed via mise.
• Bundled gems are restored if a matching cache exists.
• Updated caches are saved after the job completes.

This action does not infer what should be cached and does not modify your build commands.

Version detection order:

• .ruby-version
• .tool-versions (asdf/mise format)

If no version file is found, defaults to Ruby 3.3.

Cache tags:

• Ruby: {cache-tag}-ruby-{version}
• Gems: {cache-tag}-gems

What gets cached:

• ~/.local/share/mise — Ruby installation
• vendor/bundle — Bundled gems

The exclude: '*.out' default excludes gem build logs (gem_make.out) that contain non-deterministic paths.

Common patterns

Simple Ruby project

- uses: boringcache/ruby-action@v1
  with:
    workspace: my-org/my-project
  env:
    BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN }}

- run: bundle install
- run: bundle exec rspec

Rails application

- uses: boringcache/ruby-action@v1
  with:
    workspace: my-org/my-rails-app
  env:
    BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN }}

- run: bundle install
- run: bin/rails db:setup
- run: bin/rails test

Version pinning

- uses: boringcache/ruby-action@v1
  with:
    workspace: my-org/my-project
    ruby-version: '3.2'
  env:
    BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN }}

Inputs

Input	Required	Default	Description
workspace	No	repo name	Workspace in org/repo form.
ruby-version	No	from file	Ruby version. Reads .ruby-version or .tool-versions.
working-directory	No	.	Working directory for bundle install.
bundle-path	No	vendor/bundle	Gem install path.
cache-ruby	No	true	Cache Ruby installation.
cache-tag	No	ruby	Base tag for cache entries.
exclude	No	*.out	Glob patterns to exclude from cache.
save-always	No	false	Save cache even if job fails.
verbose	No	false	Enable detailed output.

Outputs

Output	Description
ruby-version	Installed Ruby version
cache-hit	Whether bundle cache was restored
ruby-cache-hit	Whether Ruby cache was restored
cache-key	Bundle cache key
ruby-key	Ruby cache key
workspace	Resolved workspace name

Platform behavior

Platform scoping is what makes it safe to reuse caches across machines.

By default, caches are isolated by OS and architecture. Ruby native extensions are platform-specific, so cross-platform caching is not recommended for gems with native code.

Environment variables

Variable	Description
BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN	API token (required)
BORINGCACHE_DEFAULT_WORKSPACE	Default workspace (if not specified in inputs)

Troubleshooting

• Unauthorized or workspace not found: ensure BORINGCACHE_API_TOKEN is set and the workspace exists.
• Cache miss: check workspace and version detection files.
• Gem build issues: the exclude: '*.out' default handles non-deterministic build logs.

Release notes

See https://github.com/boringcache/ruby-action/releases.

License

MIT