{{implementation|Ruby}} {{infobox begin}}

RUBY_ENGINE == "ruby"

{{infobox end}}

''Matz's Ruby Implementation'' or ''MRI'' refers to the original [[Ruby]] interpreter by Yukihiro Matsumoto, the inventor of Ruby. Matz and contributors wrote the interpreter in [[implemented in language::C|C language]]; MRI is also known as ''C Ruby'' or ''CRuby'', by analogy with [[CPython]].

The term "MRI" excludes other Ruby engines (such as [[JRuby]] or [[Rubinius]]). For example, one can say that Ruby has Array#sort method, and MRI uses [[Sorting algorithms/Quicksort|quicksort]]; other Ruby engines might use different sorting algorithm.

When code works with Ruby 1.8.7, this can be MRI 1.8.7, or anything else that implements the same language.

== Advantages ==

• MRI is the [[reference implementation]], and the first implementation of every new Ruby version.
• MRI can fork, though only for [[Unix]] clones (not for [[Windows]]).
• MRI can save and restore [[:Category:continuation|continuations]], though the implementation is slow because it copies the call stack.

== Disadvantages ==

• MRI has the ''Global VM Lock'', alias ''Giant VM Lock'' or ''GVL''. A thread, to run Ruby code, must hold this exclusive lock. Only one thread can hold the GVL; therefore, multiple threads can use only one CPU. (Contrast [[JRuby]], where multiple threads can use multiple CPUs.)
• MRI 1.8 is slow. Programs for Ruby 1.8 often run faster in [[JRuby]] or [[Rubinius]].

== Features == MRI has

an interpreter,

a mark-and-sweep [[garbage collection|garbage collector]], and

the core and standard libraries.

Most of the core library is in C. The standard library is a mix of Ruby code and C extensions.

MRI 1.8 has a somewhat slow interpreter. MRI 1.9 has a new interpreter called Yet Another Ruby VM (YARV); it translates Ruby source code to an internal [[bytecode]], then interprets the bytecode. Ruby code can run a few times faster in MRI 1.9 than in MRI 1.8. Ruby code remains slower than C code. For example, MRI 1.9.3 changes its 'date' package from Ruby code to a C extension; this gives better performance.