Greg Kroah-Hartman Sees 'Tipping Point' for Rust Drivers in Linux Kernel (phoronix.com)
(Sunday December 01, 2024 @05:29PM (EditorDavid)
from the Rust-never-sleeps dept.)
- Reference: 0175574565
- News link: https://linux.slashdot.org/story/24/12/01/1837222/greg-kroah-hartman-sees-tipping-point-for-rust-drivers-in-linux-kernel
- Source link: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-char-misc-More-Rust
Greg Kroah-Hartman noted some coming changes in Linux 6.13 will make it possible to create "way more" Rust-based kernel drivers. "The veteran kernel developer believes we're at a tipping point of seeing more upstream Rust drivers ahead," [1]reports Phoronix :
> These Rust char/misc changes are on top of the main Rust pull for Linux 6.13 that brought [2]3k lines of code for providing more Rust infrastructure . Linux 6.13 separately is also bringing [3]Rust file abstractions .
"Sorry for doing this at the end of the merge window," Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote in [4]the pull request , explaining that "conference and holiday travel got in the way on my side (hence the 5am pull request emails...)"
> Loads of things in here...
>
> — Rust misc driver bindings and other rust changes to make misc drivers actually possible. I think this is the tipping point, expect to see way more rust drivers going forward now that these bindings are present.
>
> Next merge window hopefully we will have pci and platform drivers working, which will fully enable almost all driver subsystems to start accepting (or at least getting) rust drivers. This is the end result of a lot of work from a lot of people, congrats to all of them for getting this far, you've proved many of us wrong in the best way possible, working code :)
[1] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-char-misc-More-Rust
[2] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-Rust
[3] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-Rust-File-Abstract
[4] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/Z0lG-CIjqvSvKWK4@kroah.com/
> These Rust char/misc changes are on top of the main Rust pull for Linux 6.13 that brought [2]3k lines of code for providing more Rust infrastructure . Linux 6.13 separately is also bringing [3]Rust file abstractions .
"Sorry for doing this at the end of the merge window," Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote in [4]the pull request , explaining that "conference and holiday travel got in the way on my side (hence the 5am pull request emails...)"
> Loads of things in here...
>
> — Rust misc driver bindings and other rust changes to make misc drivers actually possible. I think this is the tipping point, expect to see way more rust drivers going forward now that these bindings are present.
>
> Next merge window hopefully we will have pci and platform drivers working, which will fully enable almost all driver subsystems to start accepting (or at least getting) rust drivers. This is the end result of a lot of work from a lot of people, congrats to all of them for getting this far, you've proved many of us wrong in the best way possible, working code :)
[1] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-char-misc-More-Rust
[2] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-Rust
[3] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.13-Rust-File-Abstract
[4] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/Z0lG-CIjqvSvKWK4@kroah.com/
Yep, bringing an unstable language in... (Score:3, Interesting)
... is such a great idea. I am still convinced Linus is essentially just giving the Rust-fanatics enough rope to hang themselves.
Re: (Score:2)
Yup, it has taken linux 30 years to get this far, but hey let's mess with it.
Re: (Score:2)
> Yup, it has taken linux 30 years to get this far, but hey let's mess with it.
It took linux 30 years of people messing with it to get it this far. You can't improve things unless you are willing to change things.
Re:Yep, bringing an unstable language in... (Score:4, Insightful)
Rust in linux will bring more stability to the language because the backers of the Rust foundations are also important contributors to the linux kernel (Google, Meta, Huawei, Microsoft).
Re: (Score:2)
Probably. But that is ass-backwards.
Re: (Score:2)
> Rust in linux will bring more stability
Or it will kill linux. Much to the joy of Google, Meta, Huawei, and Microsoft. Who I'm sure have proprietary solutions waiting in the wings.
Re: (Score:2)
what's the state of cross-compilation?
last thing I cross compiled was an opener image like 10+ years ago, by I'd think with the level of virtualization, and just general improvements in tooling it would be the rule for any CPU/ram/Io constrained devices/platforms
Re: (Score:2)
ugh... openwrt, not opener.
Re: (Score:2)
Stability is of paramount importance.
I demand to be able to compile and run the exact same segfaults that I was writing in 1974!