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Can someone distill the good faith argument against rust? Is there one?
it's more niche than C, has less competency available, works very differently to C, and requires a whole new toolchain to be added to the already massive kernel compilation process. for it to be plain sailing adding it to the kernel some of the worlds' foremost domain experts on operating systems would have to re-learn basically everything.
~~also since rust is just coming up on 15 years of existence without a 1.0 release, there's no way to ensure that the code written today will be considered well-formed by the time 1.0 hits.~~
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/
Here’s the source thread.
Tldr: someone wants to put rust in the dma part of the kernel (the part that accesses memory directly)(it’s a memory allocator abstraction layer written in rust which rust code can use directly instead of dealing with the c allocator abstraction layer), is told that rust should use the extant methods to talk to the c dma interface, replies that doing so would make rust programs that talk to dma require some more code, gets told “that’s fine. We can’t do a split codebase”. The two parties work towards some resolution, then hector martin comes in and acts like jerk and gets told to fuck off by Linus.
Martin is no lennart poettering but I don’t try to see things from his perspective anymore.
It’s worth noting that Linus’ “approval” of rust in the kernel isn’t generally seen as a blanket endorsement, but a willingness to see how it might go and rust people have been generally trying to jam their code everywhere using methods that rival the cia simple field sabotage manual.
I don’t think it’s on purpose (except for maybe Martin) but a byproduct of the kernel maintainers moving slowly but surely and the rust developers moving much faster and some seeing the solution to that slow movement as jamming their foot in the door and wedging it open.
To be fair, I'm not sure how "I will do everything in my power to oppose this" is the anti-Rust side "work[ing] towards some resolution"...
That’s tame for the kernel mailing list lol.
The context is that hellwig doesn’t want another maintainer or deal with a split codebase in the dma subsystem which I honestly agree with.
If I were a maintainer in that position I’d be barring the doors too. It’s not a driver for some esoteric realtek wireless card or something.
Even if I didn’t agree with that position it’s normal to only post on the kernel mailing list about shit you actually care deeply about because it’s public and aside from all your fellow devs taking the time to read what you wrote, psychotic nerds like myself watch it and will try to read the tea leaves too!
FTA: "However, I will say that the social media brigading just makes me not want to have anything at all to do with your approach.
"Because if we have issues in the kernel development model, then social media sure as hell isn't the solution. The same way it sure as hell wasn't the solution to politics.
"Technical patches and discussions matter. Social media brigading - no thank you." -Linus
Yeah, I have to issue an unqualified agreement here. Linus isn't saying no to Rust, he's smackin' that ass for bringing drama out into social media instead of working through it in normal technical discussion channels.
It sounds like he tried that, and nobody with authority responded until he went outside the list. Even now, Linus hasn't actually answered the question of whether more rust code should be allowed.
Sure, I saw that, too. This is Linus saying he won't play that.
So he won't answer on-list. He won't respond to off-list. I don't blame marcan for getting frustrated.
Yeah, I don't blame him for being frustrated. I definitely empathize with him here. I don't know about the culture around committing to the kernal, but maybe it would be better to fork and make the case with action?
Rust is the future for this sort of systems programming work, and by failing to see that and accommodate its use both Linus and Hellwig are sabotaging the long term viability of the kernel imo. New devs are keen to jump on rust because of how much it does better than C/++ and how much easier it is to make safe and secure systems with it, but shit like this just demotivates that crowd and thins the pool of people who are willing to contribute going forward. We need memory safety by default, the task of kernel stability is only going to get more complex and unsustainable without it. Stop holding onto tradition and purity for the sake of it
Agree, I think if Linux doesn't find a good way to include and maintain rust, redox will replace Linux in the long term
I'm relatively new to Linux and the FOSS scene, but I'm not sure how I feel about the unquestioning devotion to a single person. It seems antithetical to the entire philosophy.
Even if he was maybe right this time...
The dude did a complete 180 as soon as they heard from Linus, like daddy made his decision, and it's final, or some shit...
Edit: To be clear, I understand why developers respect and listen to Linus... I just think there are fundamental issues with this kind of top-down management of such a colossal project, and the desire to defer to one person seems antithetical to the FOSS philosophy.
Its not antithetical to the Foss philosophy. Thus happens because Linus is a trusted figure, something he's absolutely earned. He didn't just buy control of some product, or get promoted to this position by a company. Many great open source projects have a BDFL. If people lose their trust in the projects BDFL, they fork the project.
Also, the kernel is really just one part of Linux. Distros include a whole bunch of software they choose to deliver a full OS (hence the Gnu+Linux people). Linus doesn't have control over the OS as a whole, just the kernel.
Edit: Just finished reading the chain, what do you mean the dude did a 180? He expressed frustration that Linux only criticized him, further criticized the issues with the kernel development process, and said he was giving up being part of the kernel.
It's not unfounded and I don't know of a time when Linus wasn't right in the end. But I wouldn't say it's blind devotion he would be turned on in a second he betrayed his principles. Also FOSS is not about lack of ownership its about sharing code for the greater good. Every owner of a project knows that a project can be forked in an instant.
I don't think it's blind devotion - most of us would acknowledge the guy can be a bit of a dick sometimes.
But we're also grateful. Without his silly idea in the 90s, linux wouldn't exist. Computing today would be massively different - big, commercial, massively expensive unixes like Sco and Solaris dominating the industry. My main hobby for 20 years would be very different. My career for six years wouldn't exist.
That Linus has stayed an actively contributing member whilst not selling out in any way at all for 34 years is... wow. Could you do it? I'm certain i couldn't. I have neither the ethical strength nor moral compass to do it. And I'm certain if he dropped out, some of the massive egos that satellite around Linux, or the monetizing businesses would seek to take over and twist it to their needs.
And, y'know, on the matter of technical detail like this. He's nearly always right. Seriously, look it up. He's not polite, he's not diplomatic, but he's nearly always right. And when he's not, he'll admit it. Again, not your normal human.
So yeah, that's why we respect him and, when he talks, we listen. Even if it's not something we're involved with, it's usually an interesting ride.
Also a reply so you can understand a bit how things typically work in FOSS projects.
There's a democracy in healthy ones, but ultimately, there has to be someone at the top that has the final say. The project maintainer/main contributor. Someone who gets to be the tie breaker, or absolutely final authority on what does or doesn't make it into a patch/version/etc.
This is extremely common, and generally healthy, in these kinds of ecosystems.
Is it healthy, or is it just the way it is? What makes it healthy?
It has worked successfully for linux for decades and other FOSS projects like Python have successfully followed the same model.
If Linus genuinely went off the rails, the kernel would just get forked. Even right now, if the way the mainline project is run doesn't work for someone or what they are doing, that can and does happen.
Linus has power because the people who contribute to the project allow it, and they allow it because over the years he has consistently endeavoured to make decisions based on what is in the best interest of the project. People want him in charge, because he has done, and keeps doing, a really good job.
He hasn't always been nice to deal with, and he can get spicy when he puts his foot down, but whem he does, its not on a whim. And if he's wrong, and you can articulate why and how, in good faith, he won't ignore the logic of what you are saying out of some childish sense of pride.
I don't know if it's complete devotion, but Linus has a reputation he's earned the difficult/hard way.
If he says something, people should take it seriously and consider his words. That's not to say he's right all the time, but you'd better have a damn good reason for disagreeing with him.
It’s just respect
I am so glad Linus just came out and said it. I was pretty upset at Hector too in the other thread the other day, and I especially didn't appreciate a call to remove a major developer from the kernel because Hector wasn't getting his way. Very militant action on Hector's part where it just wasn't necessary.
Hector, if you're reading this, communication skills are just as if not more important than your Rust development skills, and frankly your communication skills lack.
You seem to be in the loops of the linux kernel?
If so, ive known hector from way before when we was part of f0f, or TT as they were known before, doing wii homebrew work.
What you describe is what my experience was with him 14 years ago too. The guy is smart, he has a very good skill set and knowledge, but his communication skills were lacking back then too.
Granted, both he and myself were still teenagers and students and we were wild, but i had always assumed he grew up a bit since then...
What you said is spot on, and i hope he does read both of these. And if he does :
Marcan, you might not know who i am anymore, but ffs man. Dont screw up your love for all of these by keep kicking the hornets nests. You did it with devkitpro, emudevs when the nier news dropped and with rossman too. Stop it, its for your own good.
I can understand their frustration, having multiple other rust for Linux project maintainers quit over nontechnical rust aversion.
And Linus continues to (democratically?) avoid the subject with this response.
As a rust for Linux volunteer you have to be incredibly demoralized reading this mess almost every other month.
Part of why linux has been a successful long term project is by making decisions conservatively. Other projects like cURL do the same. Incremental improvements over time.
It seems like there is a culture clash with the rust devs who are pushing for changes faster than the long term project maintainers are comfortable with.
@semperverus Just from the small interactions I had with Hector on mastodon I can see he gets very unreasonable about small things and does not accept the possibility that he may be wrong, despite evidence. So leaving linux and mastodon because of rust is totally on brand for him.
The quote he replied to:
If shaming on social media does not work, then tell me what does, because I'm out of ideas.
Yeah, lol