Due to the dependence on the C language, the Linux kernel has always maintained very good portability, but now the kernel team seriously adopts Rust threatening the dominance of the C language. The technology developed by Mozilla ten years ago has become an important force. It provides the same flexibility as the classic compiled language and at the same time provides interoperability with the C language.
Kernel developers have long been discussing the possibility of introducing Rust into Linux, and the Linux kernel now includes a stable Rust compiler, which prompted kernel developer Miguel Ojeda to introduce a patch that makes Rust the de facto second type of the kernel team official language.
Steve J Vaughan-Nichols of ZDNet interviewed Greg Kroah-Hartman, a senior Linux kernel developer, who suggested that Rust code can penetrate into the kernel from the driver level. Drivers may be the first place for such an attempt. This is that they are the branch of the dependency tree in the kernel source. While relying on the core functions of the kernel, nothing depends on them.” Hartman said.
Linus Torvalds agrees with this view, saying that the driver is an obvious target. This does not mean that we need to work hard to rewrite any existing kernel source code with Rust, but if new kernel development moves in this direction, we may see a huge Rust code inventory in the kernel 10 years from now.