More Rust Code Is Coming For Linux 6.14 Along With Hitting Another "Major Milestone"
More Rust Code Is Coming For Linux 6.14 Along With Hitting Another "Major Milestone"
noob here, does this mean rust will come included on Linux, similar to python?
No. It's only about the kernel itself, not Linux Systems(aka Distributions).
Earlier the kernel did only consist of C code, but for some time now the option to develop parts of the kernel in Rust is being worked on. In the end it both compiles to native machine code. The running kernel does not require the Rust toolchain to be present.
Yeah, Python requires a "runtime" program, which interprets the Python code and then translates it into native machine code to actually execute it. Because Rust is compiled directly to native machine code by the developer, you don't need a runtime program on your PC to run Rust programs.
This is also one of the biggest reasons why Rust can be used for kernel development. You cannot rely on a runtime program for developing a kernel, since launching a program requires a kernel to already be up and running.
The other commenter already answers your quest, but I will just point out that python doesn't come included "on Linux". It just happens to be a dependency of so much stuff that some other packages is going to pull it in. A minimal distro which doesn't include programs written in python will probably not have python installed at all.
That's kinda wild tbh, even Node applications don't need to pull in Node.
As a rust developer, I'm biased, but I think it might be a great thing, if done properly. I've also done some kernel dev a while back and it's full of kernel-specific macros and conventions and boilerplate code. It would at least improve readability and reduce some boilerplate as well as improve on some common security bugs. But seeing as how different C is in kernel context to regular application, this may be the same for Rust, in which case I hope the devs know what they're doing, because it can easily get out of hand.
I can't have an impression good or bad about this news. I'm not sure if Rust is an interesting thing. I saw people saying good things about it and other talking hellish about the number of dependencies.
I don't program for a long time. Used to like coding in C quite a lot.
Rust libs for use in the kernel need an extra approval. But it turns out, whenever it's easier to just include a dependency doing what you need, instead of writing a bad version of it yourself, most people take a dependency.
Hey man, if you want to understand something you have to see it for yourself.
Don't just look at online forums and try to discern what's factual. You need your own experience.
Agree. I was just pointing that since I'm out of the scene I can't have an opinion.