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Linus Torvalds: Speaks on the Rust vs C Linux Divide
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this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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Zig is safer than C, but not on a level that is comparable to Rust, so it lacks its biggest selling point. Unfortunately just being a more modern language is not enough to sell it.
C++ was not added to Linux because Linus Torvalds thought it was an horrible language, not because it was not possible to integrate in the kernel.
Zig has other selling points, that are arguably more suitable for system programming. Rust's obsession with safety (which is still not absolute even in rust) is not the only thing to consider.
It is absolue in safe Rust, aka 99% of Rust code.
UB is only one class of error though. I get nervous when people talk about re-writing battle hardened code which has been used - and reviewed by the community - for decades because there are going to be many subtleties and edge cases which are not immediately apparent for any developer attempting a re-implementation.
Like sudo that has had zero days lurking for 10 years?
I'm not advocating for reimplementing stuff for no good reason though.
You mean old code that has bugs that are no just being discovered. Battle hardened code and many eyeballs means nothing.