Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2019 08:22:32 -0800 From: Enji Cooper <yaneurabeya@gmail.com> To: Eric McCorkle <eric@metricspace.net> Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Speculative: Rust for base system components Message-ID: <361CCB81-AEB6-4EAC-9604-CD8F4C63948C@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <e954a12f-5d23-7a3f-c29b-c93e1250965c@metricspace.net> References: <201901021829.x02IT4Kc064169@slippy.cwsent.com> <e954a12f-5d23-7a3f-c29b-c93e1250965c@metricspace.net>
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> On Jan 3, 2019, at 04:46, Eric McCorkle <eric@metricspace.net> wrote: >=20 > On 1/2/19 1:29 PM, Cy Schubert wrote: >=20 >>> I'm all for discussion and criticism of this, that's why I posted it, >>> but I don't think these kinds of false equivalences are helpful. >>=20 >> Actually it is helpful. Without a solid proposal of a new feature or=20 >> userland utility to be imported into base that requires the support of=20= >> a language not already in base, the implication of the original email=20 >> starting this thread was to rewrite FreeBSD using rust. >=20 > That doesn't represent what I wrote at all, and is bordering on a > strawman argument. Nobody to my knowledge is suggesting rewriting > everything, nor would that be possible. >=20 >> In reality we should rely more on ports. Over the years this business=20 >> has become more fragmented. Each year we see new languages being=20 >> developed and used. Importing new shiny objects into base is=20 >> unsustainable. IMO the momentum is behind containerization,=20 >> specifically kubernetes and docker-like containers. That is today. The=20= >> next year or two will introduce new technologies and shiny objects=20 >> which we will likely need to introduce here to remain relevant. We=20 >> should be looking to reduce the footprint of base, introduce new=20 >> technologies in ports (ports are much easier to build from scratch,=20 >> maintain, and update than base). Additionally the idea of meta-ports=20 >> that install groups of packages would make building purpose-built=20 >> systems a breeze for our user base, similar to what anaconda does, like=20= >> a FreeBSD based LAMP (FAMP) stack package that installs all the=20 >> necessary bits with one pkg install command. >=20 > And that seems to be the point of convergence in all this, which is fine > by me. I was looking to discuss the options and figure out the best way > forward. Going back to my previous statement, I think writing a service monitor (to w= ork alongside init and rc) in modern C++/rust would be a good item to undert= ake. I=E2=80=99d be willing to do this with someone else, as a research project/t= o demo how rust could be used. Given prior comments about rust binary sizes and the fact that the default l= inking option is mostly static, a =E2=80=9Cmission critical binary=E2=80=9D l= ike this (or rescue?) would be a good candidate for rust. Cheers, -Enji PS let=E2=80=99s call the discussion mostly closed and start working on prot= otypes instead of beating a dead horse further.=
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