Kamal 2: A Simpler Way to Deploy Ruby Applications

Talk Abstract
In this talk, we’ll dive into Kamal 2, a powerful tool that makes deploying Ruby on Rails applications easier. We'll discuss why Kamal is important, how Kamal 2 works, what has changed from Kamal v1, and how to upgrade smoothly.

We’ll also walk through the request flow in a modern Rails app, starting with kamal-proxy, then moving through Thruster – a new tool that works with the Puma application server – and finally reaching Puma. Furthermore, we'll explain why kamal-proxy replaced Traefik and how it improves flexibility and performance.

Lastly, we’ll cover how to use Kamal 2 with GitHub Actions to automate your deployments, making the process even more efficient.

Whether you’re a developer or DevOps engineer, this talk will help you understand how Kamal 2 can simplify your deployment workflow.

Note: To get more from this talk, please review the previous NYC.rb talk on Kamal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5mieZSLavI

Speaker Bio
Igor Aleksandrov is the CTO of JetRockets and a seasoned Ruby developer with over 15 years of experience building and scaling web applications. As an early committer to the Kamal project, Igor has contributed to its development from the initial versions, helping shape it into a powerful deployment solution for the Ruby on Rails ecosystem.

In addition to his work on Kamal, Igor is a recognized Docker Captain, reflecting his deep expertise in containerization and DevOps practices. He is also an IEEE Senior Member for a long time commitment to technology and engineering.

Throughout his career, Igor has been dedicated to mentoring developers and leading engineering teams, continually pushing the boundaries of modern development tools and frameworks.

Agenda
(all in Eastern Time zone)

• 5:30pm Meeting start, welcome
• 5:40pm First time attendees introductions, ice breaker
• 6:00pm Speaker start
• 7:00pm Jobs & Hiring Announcements