rv, a ruby manager for the future

There’s a new kind of developer tool, combining version manager, dependency manager, environment manager, and script runner. The biggest “language manager” is `uv` for Python, but we can and should have one for Ruby. In this talk, see how we are building `rv`, including why we're using Rust, the new use-cases it unlocks, and how it can be faster and easier to use Ruby than it has ever been before.

Transcript

1. André Arko / 8 May 2026 / RubyCon IT a ruby manager for the future rv
2. André Arko / 8 May 2026 / RubyCon IT a ruby manager for the future rv
3. André Arko @indirect
4. André Arko @indirect bundler.io rubygems.org
5. André Arko @indirect rv.dev gem.coop
6. a ten-year dream of rubies
7. that came true… in python
8. uv is revolutionary
9. uvx github-backup
10. now to business
12. dream into goal
13. rust? really?
14. rust? really.
16. building rubies
17. more like ohnopenSSL
18. the static tradeo f
19. portable-ruby (thank you Homebrew)
20. relocatable as well, phew
21. minimum viable rv
22. minimum viable rv macOS ARM + Linux x86 .ruby-version `rv shell zsh` `rv ruby install`
23. `rv ruby install 3.4.5` [ ... 1 second ... ] `ruby -v` rv 0.1
24. bre w install rv
25. rv 0.2 `rv shell [bash| fi sh|nu]` `rv ruby install [3.3|3.4]` macOS x86 + Linux ARM YJIT for all versions
26. `rv ruby install [0.49|3.2|4.0]` .tool-versions rv 0.3
27. interlude how to progress incrementally
28. interlude rebuilding a bundler, one feature at a time
29. interlude `bundle install --frozen` `gem install rails` `bundle install`
30. `rv clean-install` (like bundle install --frozen) `rv ci && bin/rails test` rv 0.4
31. Windows + Alpine Linux `rv run [ruby|irb|bash]` `rv tool install gist && gist` `rvx rails new` rv 0.5
32. Windows + Alpine Linux `rv run [ruby|irb|bash]` `rv tool install gist && gist` `rvx rails new` rv 0.5
33. `rv ruby install dev` daily builds of ruby-dev… in one second rv 0.6 (soon!)
34. `rv sync` like `bundle install` but so fast it runs every command rv 0.7 (next)
35. project setup → `rv init` tasks → `rv run TASK` scripts → `rv run SCRIPT.RB` gems → `rv gem NAME` the future
36. cool ideas but what can you do with it now?
37. $ bre w install rv $ rvx rails ne w m yapp [installs ruby in 1s] [installs rails in 8s] [generates m yapp]
38. # share scripts using m any # rubies, all auto-installed $ rv run --ruby 3.3 bench.rb $ rv run --ruby 3.4 bench.rb $ rv run --ruby 4.0 bench.rb
39. # CLIs outside Ruby versions $ rv tool install gist $ cd ruby-4-app $ gist $ cd ../ruby-2-app $ gist
40. rv.dev a fast ruby language manager for the future