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Asterinas: a rust kernel with a linux ABI (asterinas.github.io)
submitted 1 week ago by onlinepersona@programming.dev to c/linux@programming.dev
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Linux maintainers are unwilling to get rust into the kernel, so some rust folks decided to start writing a new kernel with same ABI. This allows them to make new architectural decisions. An example being their "frame kernel" (something between a monolithic kernel and a microkernel).

If I may say, it's more legible and the tooling is way better, right off the bat.

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[-] toothbrush@lemmy.blahaj.zone 39 points 1 week ago

I was interested until the website proudly stated that the kernel is not under the GPL, but the weak copyleft MPL. Great, an alternative to the linux kernel for companies to steal, yay...

[-] qaz@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Our choice of the weak-copyleft MPL license reflects a strategic balance:

  1. Commitment to open-source freedom: We believe that OS kernels are a communal asset that should benefit humanity. The MPL ensures that any alterations to MPL-covered files remain open source, aligning with our vision. Additionally, we do not require contributors to sign a Contributor License Agreement (CLA), preserving their rights and preventing the possibility of their contributions being made closed source.

  2. Accommodating proprietary modules: Recognizing the evolving landscape where large corporations also contribute significantly to open-source, we accommodate the business need for proprietary kernel modules. Unlike GPL, the MPL permits the linking of MPL-covered files with proprietary code.

Wouldn't the LGPL also allow this?

[-] mmstick@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

All source code in Rust is statically-linked when compiled, which thereby renders the LGPL no different from the GPL in practice. For Rust, the MPL-2.0 is a better license because it does not have the linking restriction.

[-] qaz@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Interesting. Is that because the kernel can't load a a module as dylib (I don't know a lot about kernel development) or because dylibs are also somehow statically linked in Rust?

[-] qaz@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Huh, I didn't know that. I thought dylibs could just be linked normally. Thanks for the insight.

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this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2024
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