I’m getting lost trying to figure out where to download Ruby gems from. There seem to be multiple places where gems are hosted and I’m not sure which one is best.
I’ve heard about different gem sources but I don’t know if it makes a difference which one I pick. My main worry is that I might end up with an outdated version of a gem if I choose the wrong repository.
When I install gems without specifying a source, will the gem manager automatically pick the most recent version? Or could I accidentally get stuck with an old release that has bugs or missing features?
Also, why do we even have multiple gem repositories instead of just one central place? It seems like it would be simpler to have everything in one spot.
yeah, rubygems.org is the go-to for most cases! when you install without a source, it usually grabs the latest version. other repos exist, but they’re kinda niche. unless you need something special, just keep it simple with the default.
RubyGems.org has been the standard repository for over a decade and handles version management quite well. When you run gem install without specifying a source, RubyGems automatically fetches from rubygems.org and installs the latest stable version by default. You can verify this behavior by checking your gem sources with gem sources -l. Regarding multiple repositories, they exist primarily for organizational needs. Some companies maintain private gem servers for internal libraries, while others like GitHub Packages offer integrated solutions for specific workflows. However, for general development work, sticking with the default rubygems.org repository is perfectly fine and you should not encounter version issues unless you explicitly specify an older version constraint in your Gemfile.
dont overthink it tbh. rubygems.org is what everyone uses and its been solid for years. the gem command defaults to it anyway so you’re already set up correctly. multiple repos are mostly for companies with private stuff - doesnt really affect us regular devs.
The confusion about multiple gem repositories is understandable, but you can safely rely on the default setup. RubyGems.org serves as the primary repository and your gem command will automatically pull from there unless configured otherwise. I have been using Ruby for several years and have never encountered issues with outdated versions when installing gems normally. The gem system is designed to fetch the most recent stable release by default, so you will not accidentally get stuck with old buggy versions unless you specifically request them. Multiple repositories exist because different organizations need to host proprietary gems or maintain specific versions for their infrastructure, but this does not affect regular development work. Your gem installation process will work correctly out of the box without any special configuration needed.