"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler" [LWN.net]

"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 12, 2021 17:14 UTC (Fri) by nix (subscriber, #2304)
In reply to: "fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler" by sthibaul
Parent article: Python cryptography, Rust, and Gentoo

The dream is still alive: the software is free, so you are free to port LLVM and Rust to any platform of your choice (and maintain it yourself forever, probably, because I kinda doubt the LLVM maintainers want to drag around m68k support in the upstream tree).

The free software dream was never about *having* stuff. It was always about *being able to do* stuff, and that is still there.

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"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 12, 2021 23:22 UTC (Fri) by Wol (subscriber, #4433) [Link] (2 responses)

Actually, following the llvm mailing list, I think m68k support is being welcomed into the tree.

Granted, it's on the basis "you want it in, you need to make sure it's maintained", but the llvm attitude to architectures seems to be similar to the linux attitude to device drivers - better in than out!

Cheers,
Wol

"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 14, 2021 22:25 UTC (Sun) by rodgerd (guest, #58896) [Link] (1 responses)

The problem has never been that these things can't be done: it's that the people making noise about them either want someone else to do it, for free; or a concern-trolling because they're looking for an excuse to block a tool that they don't like, while failing to offer a meaningful alternative.

"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 15, 2021 8:51 UTC (Mon) by glaubitz (subscriber, #96452) [Link]

> The problem has never been that these things can't be done: it's that the people making noise about them either want someone else to do it, for free; or a concern-trolling because they're looking for an excuse to block a tool that they don't like, while failing to offer a meaningful alternative.

That's not true. I'm one of these loud voices and I'm actually also one of the people who did lots of contributions to Rust to make it more portable:

> https://lwn.net/Articles/771355/

"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 15, 2021 8:49 UTC (Mon) by glaubitz (subscriber, #96452) [Link] (1 responses)

> The dream is still alive: the software is free, so you are free to port LLVM and Rust to any platform of your choice

What would the Rust developers say if the LLVM project hypothetically changed its code in a way that it could no longer be used with Rust?

Would your answer also be "Go maintain your own LLVM fork!"?

Or if the kernel developers decided to drop support for anything but large IBM mainframes and POWER servers?

Would you also say "No problem, I'll maintain my own kernel fork!"?

"fringe platforms which can't even run a Rust compiler"

Posted Feb 15, 2021 11:30 UTC (Mon) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]

> What would the Rust developers say if the LLVM project hypothetically changed its code in a way that it could no longer be used with Rust?
What if GCC tomorrow decides to drop all languages except Ada?

> Would your answer also be "Go maintain your own LLVM fork!"?
That's actually what Rust had been doing for a while. They used to maintain a private fork of LLVM with Rust-specific patches. So yes, "go and maintain your fork".

> Or if the kernel developers decided to drop support for anything but large IBM mainframes and POWER servers?
> Would you also say "No problem, I'll maintain my own kernel fork!"?
Yup.