Redox OS - an OS built entirely out of Rust

ChiefSinner@lemm.ee to Linux@lemmy.ml – 242 points –
redox-os.org

This isn't Linux, but Linux-like. Its a microkernel built from the rust programming language. Its still experimental, but I think it has great potential. It has a GUI desktop, but the compiler isn't quite fully working yet.

Has anyone used this before? What was your experience with it?

Note: If this is inappropriate since this isn't technically Linux, mods please take down.

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From my personal experience I can tell you 2 reasons. The first is that this is the first general purpose language that can be used for all projects. You can use it on the web browser with web assembly, it is good for backend and it also is low level enough to use it for OS development and embedded. Other languages are good only for some thing and really bad for others. The second reason is that it is designed around catching errors at compile time. The error handling and strict typing forces the developer to handle errors. I have to spend more time creating the program but considerably less time finding and fixing bugs.

That sounds pretty great. I get sick of having to switch gears for every layer. As a hobbyist it is tough to remember five or six languages well enough when only coding something a few times a year.

Since I do embedded, scripting, web front and back end this is sure tempting.

I have been hesitant to try to learn yet another language (this would make...ummm.. idk I lost count ages ago). But with all the hype I may break down and give it a whirl.

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I feel like C++ is as competent as Rust for any project and it's definitely older.

Not sure I can think of anything I'd enjoy less than trying to build a web app in cpp

Before using Rust I was using C++ for most projects and while it is a really powerful language there were some big problems:

  • no standard build system, most projects use cmake or meson and vendor dependencies with the projects. These build systems were really hard to learn (especially cmake, meson is easier). There are package managers these days such as conan and vcpkg but there is not really one standard way to build programs like in rust.
  • error messages were really hard to understand, especially when the project uses templates
  • it felt like 3 languages in one, projects written before c++11 differ greatly from c++11 and up
  • some of the new language features have really weird syntax, for example lambdas
  • some people say that rust is hard, but modern c++ is considerably harder to learn, just look at the list of modern c++ features: https://github.com/AnthonyCalandra/modern-cpp-features, you have to know the different pointer types (unique_pointer, shared_pointer etc.), templates, rvalue references and move semantic, exceptions, constexpressions and the list goes on

At least it won't complain about rigid, skolem or occurrence check.

Rust was created because c++ was so bad. Just take a look at crates they need a whole lot less maintenance because less bugs.

My point wasn't that C++ is good. My point was that C++ can and is used everywhere (desktop applications, web applications, OSs,...) and is older than Rust. So I feel that "this is the first general purpose language that can be used for all projects" is false. Probably "this is the first general purpose language that I (and many others) like to use for all projects" is true, but is a different claim.

TLDR: You said Rust was first language capable of system, app and web, it isn't.

It depends on what “can be used” means. I really like C# and it “can be used” for that full stack C# for example can write out native machine code, can manually and precisely lay out memory, and can directly link to assembly language routines. You can write an OS in C#. Even as a fan though, I would certainly argue that it is the wrong tool for that job.

In the same vein, while I know C++ “can” be used for web dev, I would argue that anybody that tries to do so for any significant project is insane.

I am not sure I would use Rust for “everything” but I do think the claim that Rust is one of the first languages where it is reasonable or practical to choose it for any of these uses is valid. Rust code can be very high level and often does not much different than a scripting language. At the same time, it can go as low-level as you want. This article is about an OS in Rust ( and there are few ). Web dev in Rust is totally reasonable and there are a few popular frameworks available. Rust has one of the best WASM stories around.

It is good and rust improves on its gaping weaknesses.

Yeah I never made that claim the threads OP did.

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