Linux kernel will usher in more Rust codes, Google pushes it!

Google said Thursday it is funding a project - to enhance the security of Linux kernel written by Linux system with Rust programming language , and thus enhance the security of the Internet and smart phones. If the project succeeds, that is, adding Rust code to the Linux kernel, it will mark a major technological and cultural change in the Linux open source project. Linux is the foundation of a large number of Internet infrastructures such as Android and Chrome operating systems.

Google has now signed a contract with developer Miguel Ojeda, inviting him to write Rust code for the Linux kernel. Miguel Ojeda once wrote the software for the particle accelerator of the Large Hadron Collider, and is committed to programming language security. He is also one of the main developers of the Rust for Linux project.

Adding a Rust module to the Linux kernel can improve security by shutting down the ways for hackers to attack mobile phones, computers, or servers. Since its introduction in 1991, Linux has been written in the powerful but obsolete C programming language. The language was developed in 1972 and is more vulnerable to hacker attacks than contemporary programming languages.

It is not clear whether the Linux kernel core team will accept Rust. Linux founder Linus Torvalds once said that if the Rust for Linux project proves its value, he is willing to change. Both Linus Torvalds and Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman believe that the primary goal of Rust may be drivers.

The goal of Google's plan is not to replace all the C code in Linux, but to selectively improve part of the code and add some Rust code.

The Rust language is led by Mozilla and is now operated by the independent Rust Foundation, which makes it safer to write software to memory. In Stack Overflow's annual developer survey, Rust ranked the most popular programming language for five consecutive years.

The Microsoft security team once stated that "Rust is the best alternative to C and C++." The team said that Rust can prevent 70% of major security issues from causing memory failures. In addition, because Rust's checking mechanism is carried out during the software construction process, the security of the software runtime will not come at the cost of performance.

Google did not place the only bet on Linux and Rust. It has its own memory-safe language, Go, and a new operating system, Fuchsia. "Google has many other investments in programming languages, tools and platforms," a Google spokesperson said.

Reference link: https://www.cnet.com/news/google-backed-linux-project-could-make-android-chrome-os-harder-to-hack/