'Rust makes coding fun again': Why Linux is moving away from C
11 hours ago
- #Rust Programming
- #Linux Kernel
- #Open Source
- Linux stable kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman announced that Linux and other projects like Git are moving toward Rust.
- Rust is considered safer than C and helps eliminate common vulnerabilities like unchecked pointers and forgotten unlocks.
- Kroah-Hartman estimates that 80% of kernel CVEs would be caught by Rust, allowing maintainers to focus on logic bugs instead.
- Rust is becoming the default for new work in key subsystems, with some drivers only accepted in Rust.
- The Linux kernel will not be rewritten in Rust, but new code in subsystems like graphics will be Rust-only.
- Rust has influenced improvements in C code by introducing safety mechanisms like guards and scoped allocation.
- Kroah-Hartman emphasized that Rust makes coding fun by reducing worries about memory safety and locking issues.
- The Rust experiment in the Linux kernel is now considered official and no longer an experiment.
- Kroah-Hartman highlighted that Rust benefits both maintainers by easing review workload and users by enhancing security.