/etc

↳ Testing a Rails Release Candidate

tags: rails
Originally Published: 2020-12-01

So, you want to kick the tires on a new Rails release candidate to check out new features, give feedback, and see what the upgrade will be like for your app?

Rails 6.1 RC1 was just released full of new great stuff for you to check them out. Horizontal Sharding, Multi-DB Improvements, Strict Loading, Destroy Associations in Background, Error Objects, and more! https://t.co/8PJpO4Htue

— Ruby on Rails (@rails) November 2, 2020

The only problem is, release candidates don’t get a gem “cut” for them on RubyGems, so you can’t just bump the version in your Gemfile. Instead, what you need to do is this:

  1. Switch to a new branch (optional, but recommended)

  2. Change the gem 'rails' line in your Gemfile to use the Rails Git repository and the release candidate tag you want:

     gem 'rails', git: 'https://github.com/rails/rails.git', tag: 'v6.1.0.rc1'
  3. Run bundle
  4. Run bundle exec rails app:update and follow the prompts
  5. Done! Play around, see what breaks, file any relevant bug reports so they get fixed in the next RC or final release. Check the Edge “Upgrading Ruby on Rails” guide for notes on the specific upgrade you’re testing.