'Key kernel maintainers' still back Rust in the Linux kernel, despite the doubters

The Rust for Linux project is alive and well, despite suggestions to the contrary, even if not every Linux kernel maintainer is an ally.

On Sunday, Miguel Ojeda, who leads Rust for Linux and contributes to Linux kernel maintenance, published a "Rust kernel policy" clarifying the status of efforts to integrate Rust code into the open source kernel's largely C codebase.

The document acknowledges the elephant in the room by posing the question, "Do kernel maintainers support Rust in the kernel?" and answering, "Yes, there are key kernel maintainers that support Rust in the kernel."

We note that "key kernel maintainers" is not the same as "all kernel maintainers."

There has been some doubt that Rust code contributions are welcome in recent weeks. As we reported previously, kernel maintainer Christoph Hellwig pushed back on a patch to help Rust-based device drivers call the direct memory access (DMA) API in the kernel's C-based core. That disagreement spiraled into a standoff that prompted Hector Martin, project lead of Asahi Linux for Arm-based Apple Macs, to seek the intervention of Linux Übermensch and namesake Linus Torvalds.

Martin argued that if the disputed DMA patch isn't adopted, "the [Rust for Linux] project is essentially dead until either Linus or Christoph make a move."

Torvalds blamed Martin for turning technical concerns into a social media spectacle – framing the defense of the technological status quo and maintainer workload as a matter best kept above politics. That prompted Martin to quit as the maintainer of the upstream Linux code that supports Apple's Arm-compatible hardware.

Only a few months earlier, Microsoft software engineer Wedson Almeida Filho resigned from the Rust for Linux project due to "nontechnical nonsense," essentially disagreements with C-focused maintainers.

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His departure highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the Rust for Linux project. Before the first bits of Rust code made it into the kernel in late 2022, those advocating for Rust in Linux acknowledged extra work would be required and presented risks. Even so, they argued that the memory safety benefits of Rust – now evangelized for software development throughout government and industry – would pay off in time.

Amid continued debate, Ojeda's Rust for Linux policy document reaffirms the commitments laid out in the 2021 RFC for adding Rust to the Linux kernel. It also attempts to resolve some of the confusion that has arisen in the wake of the tensions between the Rust and C coders.

In response to a request to comment, Ojeda pointed to a presentation [PDF] he gave earlier this month at European software conference FOSDEM 2025 that highlights the accomplishments of the Rust for Linux project and its ongoing viability.

The presentation includes endorsements and more nuanced statements of support from a handful of kernel maintainers.

Almost inevitable that we will continue to see more Rust code merged upstream

"The enthusiasm from some parts of the kernel community is undeniable, so it seems almost inevitable that we will continue to see more Rust code merged upstream," said Andrea Righi, a Linux kernel engineer with Nvidia, in a statement.

"However, like any big change in the kernel, broader adoption will probably take time."

That's a common sentiment among those offering their thoughts. While resistance to Rust in the Linux kernel can be expected to continue among maintainers of some Linux subsystems, those cited by Ojeda suggest that opposition could ease over time as veteran C maintainers step back and Rust skills become more common. ®