Start in the terminal.
curl -sSL https://install.boringcache.com/install.sh | sh
cd your-project
boringcache onboard
boringcache onboard is the default starting point.
It authenticates the CLI, chooses a default workspace, and writes .boringcache.toml when it can so local runs, Docker builds, and CI can reuse the same cache names.
After onboard, start with the shortest command that fits the tool:
# Archive mode (run/save/restore)
boringcache run -- bundle install
# Docker adapter from repo config
boringcache docker
# Same adapter without repo config
boringcache docker --tag docker-cache -- docker buildx build .
# Long-lived local proxy
boringcache cache-registry my-org/app registry-cache --port 5000
Use archive mode commands (run, save, and restore) when you want to cache an explicit directory such as vendor/bundle, node_modules, or dist.
Use adapter commands when the build tool already knows how to talk to a remote cache and BoringCache has a dedicated wrapper for it.
Use cache-registry when the repo already has a checked-in local endpoint setup or another process should keep the proxy alive. cache-registry is the proxy. run --proxy and adapter commands temporarily start that proxy for one command and wait internally until it is ready.
When .boringcache.toml stores the Docker command, boringcache docker is the short form. Use the longer version when you want to pass the Docker command inline.
For repeated remote-cache commands, put the adapter setup in .boringcache.toml and keep the invocation short:
workspace = "my-org/my-project"
[adapters.docker]
tag = "docker-cache"
command = ["docker", "buildx", "build", "."]
command can be an argv array like the example above or a shell-style string such as command = "docker buildx build .".
This is not general TOML templating.
When the adapter starts a local proxy, command arguments can use {PORT}, {ENDPOINT}, and {CACHE_REF}.
boringcache docker
The next docs to read are usually Adapter commands and Tool guides.
If the repo uses GitHub Actions, the next step is usually the immutable
boringcache/one v1.13.99 distribution
commit b55458ec8a4165e3fd70b1a1645f518a2095ed02.
See GitHub Actions.