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Micron Document

Rust for Linux

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Rust for Linux is an ongoing project started in 2020 to add Rust as a programming language that can be used within the Linux kernel software, which has been written using C and assembly only. This project aims to leverage Rust's memory safety to reduce bugs when writing kernel drivers.cite-ref-zdnet-going-next-1-0[1] Progress has been slower than hoped by both Rust advocates and Linus Torvalds, lead of the Linux kernel project.cite-ref-2[2] In December 2023, the first drivers written in Rust were accepted, and released in version 6.8.cite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-0[3]cite-ref-itsfoss-kernel-6-8-4-0[4]

Contents

• History

• Usage

• See also

• References

History

The Linux kernel has been primarily written in C and assembly languages since its first release in 1991. Around 1997, the addition of C++ was considered and experimented upon for two weeks before being scrapped.cite-ref-5[5] Rust was created in 2006 and combines the performance of low-level programming languages (such as C) with a focus on memory safety and a user-friendly tool set and syntax.cite-ref-6[6]

An example Linux external loadable kernel module created using the Rust language was published by Taesoo Kim in 2013.cite-ref-7[7]cite-ref-8[8]

The Rust for Linux project was announced in 2020 in the Linux kernel mailing list with goal of adding Rust as a programming language that could be used within the Linux project.cite-ref-infoq2021-9-0[9] At the Open Source Summit 2022, Linus Torvalds stated that the incorporation of the project's work could begin as soon as the Linux 5.20 release, later named as Linux 6.0.cite-ref-10[10] The first release candidate for Linux 6.0 was created on 14 August 2022, without Rust support. In the release notes for Linux 6.0-rc1, Torvalds expressed his intention for adding Rust support, "I actually was hoping that we'd get some of the first rust infrastructure, and the multi-gen LRU VM, but neither of them happened this time around."cite-ref-11[11]cite-ref-12[12] On 19 September 2022, an article from ZDNet revealed an email from Linus Torvalds stating that "Unless something odd happens, it [Rust] will make it into 6.1".cite-ref-13[13]

In October 2022, a pull request for accepting the implementation for Rust for Linux was approved by Torvalds.cite-ref-14[14] As of Linux 6.1, support was intentionally left minimal in order to allow developers to test the feature.cite-ref-15[15]

Rust for Linux developers created a new library "pinned-init" to safely and fallibly initialize memory that must not be relocated.cite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-1[3] It was first included in Linux 6.4,cite-ref-16[16] and been improved in later versions.cite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-2[3]

Linux 6.10 included RISCV processor architecture support for Rust.cite-ref-heise-riscv-17-0[17]

In July 2024 a change was accepted into Linux to support multiple Rust versions for the first time, allowing compiling using both 1.78 (Released 2 May, 2024) and 1.79 (Released 13 June, 2024).cite-ref-heise-qr-18-0[18]

As of August 2024, Rust for Linux depends on unstable features of the Rust compiler.cite-ref-zdnet-going-next-1-1[1]

Usage

Linux kernel contains the following Rust components:

• rnull, a drop-in replacement for the null devicecite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-3[3]cite-ref-19[19]

• ASIX AX88772A and Realtek Generic FE-GE physical layer network driverscite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-4[3]cite-ref-itsfoss-kernel-6-8-4-1[4]cite-ref-asix-20-0[20]cite-ref-21[21]

• QR code DRM panic handlercite-ref-heise-qr-18-1[18]cite-ref-22[22]

Other notable projects using Rust in Linux include:

• tarfs, a tar filesystemcite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-5[3]cite-ref-phoronix-ext2-23-0[23]

• NVM Express (NVMe) device drivercite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-6[3]

• Android Binder IPC drivercite-ref-infoq2021-9-1[9]cite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-7[3]cite-ref-24[24]

• Asahi Linux's Apple silicon AGX GPU DRM drivercite-ref-25[25]cite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-8[3]cite-ref-26[26]

• PuzzleFS, a container filesystemcite-ref-usenix-empirical-study-3-9[3]cite-ref-27[27]cite-ref-phoronix-ext2-23-1[23]

• Read-only ext2 filesystemcite-ref-phoronix-ext2-23-2[23]

• Nova, intended to create a Rust nouveau Nvidia GPU driver, is being developed on the freedesktop.org project infrastructurecite-ref-itsfoss-nova-28-0[28]cite-ref-29[29]