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Ruby Version Management Strategy

Overview

This document explains our Ruby version management strategy for the Zer0-Mistakes Jekyll theme, including why we pin specific Ruby versions in Docker and how to handle Ruby upgrades safely.

Current Ruby Version Strategy

Production & Development

  • Docker: Ruby 3.3-slim
  • CI Test Matrix: Ruby 3.2, 3.3
  • Rationale: Balance between modern features and gem ecosystem compatibility

Why Not Ruby 3.4 (Latest)?

Ruby 3.4 introduced breaking changes to native extension APIs that affect many gems:

  1. Native Extension Breakage: Changed function signatures (e.g., rb_hash_foreach)
  2. Old Gem Incompatibility: Legacy gems like posix-spawn@0.3.15 fail to compile
  3. Ecosystem Lag: Many gems haven't updated for Ruby 3.4 compatibility yet

The Problem We Solved

Initial Issue (December 2025)

Error: posix-spawn (0.3.15) failed to compile on Ruby 3.4
Cause: github-pages v39 (from 2015) depends on incompatible gems
Result: Docker build failures in test-latest workflow

Root Causes

  1. Gemfile.lock contained ancient dependencies (github-pages v39 from 2015)
  2. Dockerfile used ruby:slim which resolved to Ruby 3.4
  3. test-latest workflow didn't update dependencies before building
  4. Native C extensions in old gems incompatible with Ruby 3.4 API changes

Solution Architecture

1. Pin Ruby Version in Dockerfile

# Before: FROM ruby:slim AS base
# After: 
FROM ruby:3.3-slim AS base

Benefits:

  • Aligns with CI test matrix
  • Stable gem ecosystem compatibility
  • Predictable behavior across environments

2. Update Dependencies in test-latest Workflow

- name: Update Dependencies to Latest
  run: |
    docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/site" -w /site ruby:3.3-slim bash -c '
      apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y build-essential git && 
      gem install bundler -v "~> 2.3" && 
      bundle update --all
    '

Benefits:

  • Actually tests with latest compatible versions
  • Catches dependency issues early
  • Ensures Gemfile.lock stays current

3. Regular Dependency Updates

Our automated dependency update workflow runs weekly to keep gems current while Ruby version stays stable.

How to Upgrade Ruby Version Safely

Pre-Upgrade Checklist

  1. ✅ Check Ruby release notes for breaking changes
  2. ✅ Update Gemfile.lock with bundle update
  3. ✅ Test in local Docker environment
  4. ✅ Verify all native extensions compile
  5. ✅ Run full test suite
  6. ✅ Update CI test matrix

Upgrade Process

Step 1: Update Test Matrix First

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
matrix:
  ruby: ['3.3', '3.4']  # Add new version

Step 2: Update Dependencies

# Update to latest compatible versions
bundle update

# Check for warnings
bundle install --verbose

Step 3: Update Dockerfile

# Only after CI passes with new Ruby version
FROM ruby:3.4-slim AS base
# ... 
FROM ruby:3.4-slim AS production

Step 4: Monitor & Rollback Plan

  • Watch CI for 1-2 days
  • Keep old Ruby version in git history
  • Document any gem-specific issues

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: Native Extension Compilation Failures

Symptom: make failed, exit code 2 during gem installation

Solution:

# Option A: Update the gem
bundle update <gem-name>

# Option B: Pin Ruby to compatible version
# Dockerfile: FROM ruby:3.3-slim

# Option C: Replace problematic gem
# Check if newer alternatives exist

Issue 2: API Compatibility Warnings

Symptom: Deprecation warnings or changed behavior

Solution:

# Check gem compatibility
gem list | grep <gem-name>

# Update or pin specific gem version
bundle update <gem-name>
# OR in Gemfile:
gem '<gem-name>', '~> X.Y'

Issue 3: test-latest Workflow Failures

Symptom: Latest dependencies test fails but regular CI passes

Solution:

  1. Check if it's a Ruby version issue or gem incompatibility
  2. Update Gemfile.lock: bundle update --all
  3. Test locally with same Ruby version
  4. Consider pinning problematic gems temporarily

Monitoring & Maintenance

Weekly Tasks

  • ✅ Review automated dependency update PRs
  • ✅ Check for gem security vulnerabilities
  • ✅ Monitor test-latest workflow results

Monthly Tasks

  • ✅ Review Ruby release notes
  • ✅ Check gem compatibility status
  • ✅ Update documentation if strategy changes

Quarterly Tasks

  • ✅ Evaluate Ruby version upgrade
  • ✅ Review CI test matrix
  • ✅ Update base images (security patches)

Decision Matrix: When to Upgrade Ruby

Criteria Upgrade Now Wait
Ruby EOL approaching ✅ ❌
All gems compatible ✅ ❌
Security fixes needed ✅ ❌
Breaking changes present ❌ ✅
Gem ecosystem unstable ❌ ✅
Active project development ✅ ❌

Ruby Version Lifecycle

Supported Versions (as of 2025)

  • Ruby 3.3: Current stable (✅ Recommended)
  • Ruby 3.2: Stable, widely supported
  • Ruby 3.1: EOL March 2025 (⚠️ Avoid)
  • Ruby 3.0: EOL March 2024 (❌ Unsupported)

Our Policy

  1. Use latest stable that gem ecosystem supports
  2. Test new versions in CI before production
  3. Drop EOL versions from CI within 3 months
  4. Document breaking changes when they occur

References

Last Updated: December 2025
Ruby Version: 3.3
Status: Active