Author here. I'm surprised to see my hobby project on Hacker News.
I know this kind of stuff spark the ``it's meaningless to rewrite everything (especially Linux) in Rust'' debate. I agree 100% that rewriting Linux in Rust (or your favorite language) is just a waste of time and such a project won't live long.
That said, what I'd say here is that it's fun. Really fun. Implementing ABI compatibility requires you to understand under the hood of the kernel. You can learn how printf(3) works. You can learn what happens before main().
Especially, in Rust, it's inspiring to explore ways to write a kernel safely and expressively. One of my favorite part is the implementation of read system call [1].
Lastly, You can try this OS on SSH. Hope you enjoy :)
ssh [email protected]
Thanks for checking in. Makes me happy to see your excitement for learning the inner workings of things.
What do you think about other Rust OS projects like Redox?
In addition to its huge contribution to OS development in Rust, as a microkernel enthusiast, it sounds exciting to writing a microkernel in Rust, in the "Everything is a URL" principle. Moreover, it can run a good-looking GUI on a real machines [1]! I know it's very hard to be realized.
Aside from Redox, I'd mention Tock [2], an embedded operating system. It introduces a novel components isolation using Rust's power. I believe this field is where Rust shines and am looking forward to seeing it in production.
[1]: https://www.redox-os.org/screens/ [2]: https://www.tockos.org
https://github.com/betrusted-io/xous-core
As a embedded service processor OS for a big server rack, Oxide Computer is working on 'HubrisOS'. They seem to have not released it yet, but that will be open sourced.
https://github.com/oxidecomputer
Those are two efforts where I know real resources are going into.