September 2nd, 2024

Rust for Linux maintainer steps down in frustration with 'nontechnical nonsense'

Wedson Almeida Filho resigned from the Rust for Linux project due to community conflicts, emphasizing the need for memory safety. Some developers suggest a new Rust-based kernel instead of integration challenges.

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Rust for Linux maintainer steps down in frustration with 'nontechnical nonsense'

Wedson Almeida Filho, the maintainer of the Rust for Linux project, has resigned due to frustration with interpersonal conflicts and what he describes as "nontechnical nonsense" within the Linux kernel community. In his resignation message, Filho expressed a lack of energy to deal with ongoing disputes that he expected would have been resolved after nearly four years of effort. He emphasized the importance of integrating Rust into the Linux kernel to enhance memory safety, a significant concern given the vulnerabilities associated with C and C++ programming. Despite his departure, Filho remains supportive of the project, which aims to leverage Rust's advantages for the Linux kernel. He noted that while there is resistance from some kernel maintainers, the groundwork for Rust components is being laid, although challenges persist. The resignation highlights broader issues within open-source projects, where differing expectations and community dynamics can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction among contributors. Some developers have suggested that a fresh start with a new Rust-based kernel could be more productive than trying to integrate Rust into the existing C codebase.

- Wedson Almeida Filho resigned from the Rust for Linux project due to frustration with community conflicts.

- He emphasized the need for memory-safe programming languages like Rust in the Linux kernel.

- Filho's departure reflects broader challenges in open-source projects regarding community dynamics.

- Some developers propose creating a new Rust-based kernel instead of integrating Rust into existing C code.

- The Rust for Linux project continues to face resistance from certain kernel maintainers.

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By @mytailorisrich - 3 months
> "When I started on this project, I fully expected we would get pushback on technical grounds and I was willing to work through that under the assumption that eventually we would find consensus," explained Filho.

Managing change, is as much, if not more, nontechnical as it is technical. Technical discussions are easy, but the real difficulties will be non-technical pushback.

So leading this is a leadership and political role.

By @WhereIsTheTruth - 3 months
It is technical if maintainers need to maintain code written in a language they are not familiar with

If you are not happy, you fork the kernel

By @krona - 3 months
Rust developers find out some additional memory safety brings trade-offs many c developers find unacceptable?
By @djaouen - 3 months
On the one hand, I can see how rewriting parts of the kernel in a memory-safe language would be helpful. On the other hand, are we going to rewrite the kernel with every new language that comes out?