While the Linux 6.18 kernel merge window is just getting formally started following yesterday’s Linux 6.17 release, one thing is already quite clear: there is a a lot of new Rust programming language code set to head into Linux 6.18.
A number of early pull requests were submitted in advance of the Linux 6.18 merge window formally opening, including several specifically enhancing the kernel’s Rust programming language opportunities.
Those early pull requests included Miguel Ojeda submitting the main Rust pull. Rust in Linux 6.18 will now derive “zeroable” for all structs and unions generated by bindgen where possible, the kernel crate adds a “ptr” module with an “Alignment” type, continued efforts in using the Rust standard library, and various other additions.
The driver core pull request was also submitted already and it is dominated by Rust changes. New Rust code there is for DebugFS support for simple read/write files and custom callbacks, an io::poll module, support for threaded and non-threaded device IRQs, a number of new PCI additions, sysfs integration enhancements, and various other Rust driver changes.
The locking pull request meanwhile adds initial support for generic LKMM atomic variables in Rust. Plus a refcount_t wrapper in Rust. As noted a few weeks back, this allows Rust and C code to use the same memory model moving forward.
Plus there is more Rust code expected from the DRM subsystem and other pull requests to be submitted over the next two weeks.
