Project Description

Rust language is on the way to enter linux kernel, use this hackweek to explore and learn what this could bring us (or not).

Goal for this Hackweek

No fixed goals, learn as much as possible, but some topics for inspiration:

• set up compilation and testing environment
• try to understand some aspects of the implementation
  • locking primitives
  • unsafe memory operations
  • passing C <-> rust data structures
• higher level aspects
  • limitations of current implementation, eg. can other subsystems be adapted for rust
  • differences when designing interconnected data structures C vs rust
• example drivers and code
  • analyze existing example driver
  • try to write own
  • analyze generated assembly object code

Resources

• https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/ rust language documentation
• v7 https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20220523020209.11810-1-ojeda@kernel.org/
• https://github.com/Rust-for-Linux/linux.git -- linux sources with rust patches
• rust kernel API https://rust-for-linux.github.io/docs/kernel/
• TBD slack/IRC channel for discussions
• TBD lwn.net articles about the progress

Skill level:

• rust coding - beginner to expert
• rust enthusiasm - skeptic to fanatic
• linux kernel - intermediate to expert

Howtos

Rust

You can use rustup tool to install the versions manually (package available in openSUSE), we require 1.61, this is also available in openSUSE.

# rustup toolchain install 1.61
# rustup default 1.61
# rustup toolchain list
stable-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
nightly-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
1.61-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu (default)

The linux+rust support

• must read -- https://github.com/Rust-for-Linux/linux/blob/rust/Documentation/rust/quick-start.rst
• use this -- development repository (https://github.com/Rust-for-Linux/linux.git)
• do not use -- linux-next (https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/next/linux-next.git) -- rust patchset is there but compilation does not work with 1.60,

Linux

Checkout the Rust-for-Linux git tree, all make commands need to be run as make LLVM=1 so the llvm support is detected even for configuration phase

• make LLVM=1 defconfig
• scripts/enable CONFIG_RUST and make LLVM=1 oldconfig
• make LLVM=1 menuconfig, navigate to General to enable rust and to Kernel hacking to enable all examples
• make LLVM=1 -j 16 to start build

Drivers, config options:

• ANDROIDBINDERIPC_RUST
• GPIOPL061RUST
• SAMPLES_RUST -- check all
• RUST_* namespace, various safety and debugging options