Install anycable-go with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• anycable-go

Project history

The AnyCable README says the project lets applications use any WebSocket server as a replacement for a Ruby server such as Action Cable, while keeping the same Action Cable protocol and JavaScript client compatibility. The current docs broaden the positioning: AnyCable is a realtime server with delivery guarantees for Rails, Laravel, Node.js, Python, and any backend that can speak HTTP.

The Go server grew alongside the Ruby/Rails integration. Official docs describe two operating modes: RPC-backed mode, where the server delegates connection and subscription logic to an application, and standalone pub/sub mode, where signed streams and JWT-style authentication allow use without a full Action Cable backend.

Adoption history

AnyCable's adoption story started in the Rails world, where it offered a path away from running large numbers of persistent WebSocket connections inside Ruby application processes. The official README links talks from RailsClub Moscow 2016, RubyConfMY 2017, RubyKaigi 2018, Wroc_Love.rb 2018, and RubyConf 2018, plus an Evil Martians post marking AnyCable 1.0 after four years of real-time web with Ruby and Go.

The docs now present AnyCable beyond Rails: Laravel, Node.js serverless, Python and generic HTTP backends, Hotwire, SSE, long polling, Pusher protocol, GraphQL, and server-side reliable streams. That wider docs surface explains why anycable-go is packaged as a standalone Homebrew formula rather than only as a Ruby gem transitive artifact.

How it is used

Operators run anycable-go as a WebSocket/realtime server and configure it with environment variables, CLI flags, or, since v1.5.4, a TOML config file. Official docs say it looks for ./anycable.toml and /etc/anycable/anycable.toml by default, and also accepts --config-path.

For Rails, a typical deployment pairs anycable-go with anycable or anycable-rails in the application, a broadcast adapter such as Redis, NATS, or HTTP, and a WebSocket URL pointed at the AnyCable server. For non-Rails usage, users can run standalone signed streams, MySQL-like clients are irrelevant, and the operational focus becomes pub/sub, delivery guarantees, and connection draining.

Why package nerds care

AnyCable-Go matters because it is a case study in splitting a framework feature into a polyglot service. Homebrew installs a Go binary, RubyGems installs the Rails-side pieces, npm may install client packages, and deployment docs bridge all of them.

The project also shows how a package can be a protocol implementation rather than just an app. Its significance is tied to Action Cable compatibility, the extended Action Cable protocol, reliable streams, and the ability to operate realtime traffic with Go's runtime characteristics while keeping Rails channel code.

Timeline

• 2016: Official README links a RailsClub Moscow talk about AnyCable.
• 2018: Official README links RubyKaigi, Wroc_Love.rb, and RubyConf talks focused on high-speed cables and Ruby/Go realtime architecture.
• 2020: Official README links AnyCable 1.0 coverage after four years of real-time web with Ruby and Go.
• 2024: Official docs note TOML configuration support in anycable-go since v1.5.4.
• 2026: The official release feed shows v1.6.15 with maintenance fixes and Go toolchain updates.

Related projects

• Action Cable is the Rails WebSocket framework whose protocol AnyCable supports.
• anycable and anycable-rails are the Ruby-side integration packages.
• anycable-client is the JavaScript client SDK linked from the official docs.
• Lite Cable is mentioned by the docs for non-Rails Ruby application logic.

Sources

• Official AnyCable README, docs markdown bundle, configuration docs, release feed, and source_facts.description.