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Gemfast

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What Gemfast is

Gemfast is a free, open-source RubyGems server written in Go for self-hosted use and designed as a drop-in replacement for geminabox. It mirrors and caches gems from rubygems.org and hosts internally developed gems that should remain private. RubyGems clients can use the legacy Dependency API or Compact Index API. Authentication supports local accounts, GitHub OAuth with organization restrictions, or no authentication, while role-based access is available. Gem filtering can allow or deny packages through regular-expression rules or CVE severity data from ruby-advisory-db. Gemfast stores data in SQLite files and does not require Ruby or external services such as PostgreSQL, Redis, or Memcached. Configuration uses an HCL file located through GEMFAST_CONFIG_FILE or a startup argument. Its experimental web interface supports viewing and searching private and cached gems. A configurable Prometheus metrics endpoint can be disabled. Distribution includes Docker, source builds, and precompiled binaries for linux_amd64, linux_arm64, and darwin_arm64. The project is licensed under Apache 2.0.

Who it suits

Gemfast suits teams wanting to self-host a RubyGems service for private packages, upstream caching, and controlled access without separate database or cache servers.

What it does well

  • Free and open source under Apache 2.0
  • Mirrors and caches rubygems.org gems
  • Supports private internally developed gems
  • No Ruby or external server dependencies
  • Offers local and GitHub OAuth authentication

What to know first

  • Web interface is experimental
  • Listed binaries cover three architectures
  • Requires self-hosted deployment
  • Prometheus endpoint is optional and configurable

Verdict

Gemfast provides package mirroring, private gem hosting, filtering, and access controls in a self-hosted Go server. Its experimental interface and listed binary targets are worth checking for your environment.

Facts from Gemfast's own pages

Authentication
Authentication can use local accounts, GitHub OAuth, or no authentication; GitHub OAuth access can be restricted by organization. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Binary platforms
The listed prebuilt binaries are linux_amd64, linux_arm64, and darwin_arm64. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Configuration
Gemfast is configured with an HCL file, whose location can be set with GEMFAST_CONFIG_FILE or a startup argument. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Dependencies
The project says the server does not require external dependencies such as PostgreSQL, Redis, or Memcached, and does not require Ruby to be installed on the server. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Distribution
The project provides a Docker image and precompiled binaries; listed release binaries are linux_amd64, linux_arm64, and darwin_arm64. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Gem filtering
It can allow or deny gems using regular expression rules or CVE severity data from ruby-advisory-db. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Gem mirroring
It can mirror and cache gems from rubygems.org and host internally developed gems. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Install methods
Gemfast is distributed as a Docker image and precompiled binaries, and can also be built from source. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Intended users
The project describes itself as intended for users who want a quick-to-set-up, easy-to-manage self-hosted RubyGems server. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License
Gemfast is open source software under the Apache 2.0 License. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Metrics
A Prometheus metrics endpoint is configurable and can be disabled. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Mirroring
Gemfast can mirror and cache gems from rubygems.org. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Private gems
Gemfast lets users upload internally developed gems that cannot be distributed publicly. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose
Gemfast is a self-hosted RubyGems server written in Go and described as a drop-in replacement for geminabox. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
RubyGems APIs
It supports the legacy Dependency API and the Compact Index API. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Self-hosting
The project is designed for users who want to self-host RubyGems. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Storage and dependencies
The project says it needs no external server dependencies such as PostgreSQL, Redis, or Memcached, and its configuration uses SQLite database files. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Web interface
Its basic UI is experimental and supports viewing and searching private gems and cached upstream gems. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Web UI
The basic web UI is experimental and supports viewing and searching private gems and gems cached from an upstream source. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026

Where Gemfast stands on Freedom251

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