The Rust-y Future of the Linux Kernel

Recently, at the Linux Foundation's Open-Source Summit, Linux Torvalds (the creator of Linux) spoke of the possibility that Rust might make it into the next kernel cycle. This has been talked about for some time, but with no idea as to when it could happen. However, during the Summit, Torvalds made it clear that Rust could very likely be an option in kernel 5.20. 

Even though there has yet to be a single pull request sent or merged, a few basic Rust drivers have begun to emerge. As recently as May 2022, kernel patches were posted to add the necessary Rust support into the kernel. As well, a new version of Uutils was released as the Rust language implementation of GNU Coreutils.

Along with the possibility of the Rust addition, kernel 5.20 will add the usual host of new hardware additions (such as updates for AMD architecture, support for RDNA3, and even MGLRU).

The merge window for kernel 5.20 will open as soon as the release of 5.19 happens near the end of July.

For more information on Linux kernel Rust support, check out the various entries in the Kernel.org archives.