Linux 6.13 Rust Support Allowing For In-Place Modules

[darkonix]

It would be nice if someday these Rust efforts could be used to allow for safely and correctly unloading and reloading of kernel modules. In theory, every kernel module should be able to be unloaded properly but in practice once drivers like the GPU take hold there's no way to ever unload and reload the module, even if you shutdown the Wayland compositor, the GPU is still in use because of the TTY or some other low-level DRM module that can't be easily unloaded.

As far as I know, all of this Rust code is just abstractions on top of the C code though so it's unlikely we'll ever achieve feature parity with Windows here.

That seems to be a limitation on modules implentations. Probably not a language thing that Rust will resolve.

[hamishmb]

It would be nice if someday these Rust efforts could be used to allow for safely and correctly unloading and reloading of kernel modules. In theory, every kernel module should be able to be unloaded properly but in practice once drivers like the GPU take hold there's no way to ever unload and reload the module, even if you shutdown the Wayland compositor, the GPU is still in use because of the TTY or some other low-level DRM module that can't be easily unloaded.

As far as I know, all of this Rust code is just abstractions on top of the C code though so it's unlikely we'll ever achieve feature parity with Windows here.

Interesting, I didn't know about this limitation when unloading modules, thanks for sharing.

[ahrs]

It would be nice if someday these Rust efforts could be used to allow for safely and correctly unloading and reloading of kernel modules. In theory, every kernel module should be able to be unloaded properly but in practice once drivers like the GPU take hold there's no way to ever unload and reload the module, even if you shutdown the Wayland compositor, the GPU is still in use because of the TTY or some other low-level DRM module that can't be easily unloaded.

As far as I know, all of this Rust code is just abstractions on top of the C code though so it's unlikely we'll ever achieve feature parity with Windows here.

[fitzie]

This is from the developer who "retired" from the rust for linux project.

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 6.13 Rust Support Allowing For In-Place Modules

Set to be merged during the upcoming Linux 6.13 merge window is support with the Rust programming language infrastructure for allowing in-place kernel modules...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-Rust-InPlaceModule