Ruby Proxy

Repsy’s Ruby Proxy feature allows your Ruby repositories to act as intelligent proxies to external gem sources such as rubygems.org or private repositories.

A Ruby proxy repository acts as an intermediary between Bundler and external gem sources. When Bundler requests a gem that does not exist locally, the proxy automatically fetches it from the configured upstream sources and caches it for future use.

Important: Only Bundler (bundle install) is supported in proxy mode. The gem install command relies on the legacy specs.4.8.gz index, which is not served by the Repsy proxy. Use bundle install with a Gemfile for all proxy-backed installations.

Setting Up Ruby Proxy

Configuring Proxy Sources

You can configure multiple upstream sources with different priorities:

Public RubyGems Source

Proxy URL: https://rubygems.org

Private Ruby Repository

Proxy URL: https://gems.yourcompany.com
Username: your-username
Password: your-password

Common Configuration Options

For all proxy types, you can configure:

SSL Validation: Enable/disable SSL certificate validation
Connection Timeout: Set timeout in milliseconds (default: 5000ms)
Active Status: Enable or disable the proxy

How Ruby Proxy Works

Package Resolution Flow

Client Request: Bundler requests a gem from your Repsy repository via the Compact Index protocol.
Local Check: Repsy checks if the gem exists in local storage.
Proxy Fallback: If not found locally, Repsy queries configured proxies in priority order.
Authentication: Credentials are used if the proxy requires authentication.
Caching: Downloads and caches the gem for future requests.
Response: Returns the gem to the client.

Priority System

Proxies are queried in order of priority. If the first proxy fails or does not contain the requested gem, the next proxy in line is automatically tried. You can easily change the order of the proxies to customize the resolution priority.

Best Practices

Set appropriate priorities based on gem availability and speed.
Disable unused proxies to reduce latency and avoid timeouts.
Regularly update credentials for private sources.
Point your Gemfile source to your Repsy repository URL — proxy resolution happens transparently on the server side. Do not use gem install --source with a proxy repository; use bundle install instead.

Need Help?

Reach out to [email protected] if you need assistance configuring or troubleshooting Ruby proxy functionality.

Was this page helpful?