Linus Torvalds' Initial Comment On Rust Code Prospects Within The Linux Kernel

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linus Torvalds' Initial Comment On Rust Code Prospects Within The Linux Kernel

Kernel developers appear to be eager to debate the merits of potentially allowing Rust code within the Linux kernel. Linus Torvalds himself has made some initial remarks on the topic ahead of the Linux Plumbers 2020 conference where the matter will be discussed at length...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Torvalds-Rust-Kernel-K-Build

[stormcrow]

Sensible position on Linus' part.

[dxin]

This is getting interesting. I guess it's finally time for me to learn a new language.

[pal666]

well, it has to be disabled by default because gcc 4.9 doesn't support it

[pal666]

It might evolve into a viable C replacement.

viable c replacement has to understand c headers

[RahulSundaram]

viable c replacement has to understand c headers

Not necessarily but it does make it easier to replace incrementally. There are multiple solutions for this in many languages. In Rust, one could use bindgen to generate Rust FFI and you then call C code from that

[onicsis]

As long it's not a requirement to have rust compiler installed, to be able to properly build mainline kernel, guessing it's OK.

[CommunityMember]

As long it's not a requirement to have rust compiler installed, to be able to properly build mainline kernel, guessing it's OK.

It seems likely any early usage of rust would be in specific use cases such as a new driver which might very well not be built by default (so no rustc requirements). But, remember, you are the frog (and the water is slowing getting hotter).

[pal666]

There are multiple solutions for this in many languages.

and nothing works, that's why nothing but c++ is used as viable replacement for c

In Rust, one could use bindgen to generate Rust FFI and you then call C code from that

i didn't say "call c code", i said "understand c headers". even perl can "call c code"

[Danny3]

Ok, but how is the code written in Rust compared to C at the performance level ?
Is Rust adding any safety checks at runtime that makes the code slower based on the assumption that the code is badly written ?