Hardware Podcasts

Across the Chasm with Rust

Oxide and Friends · 19 Jul 2022 · 1h 44m · Episode 20

What this episode covers

Steve Klabnik and Luqman Aden, engineers at Oxide Computer Company, discuss the evolution of the Rust programming language, focusing on the stabilization of features like `let_chains` and `async/await` as the catalyst for crossing the chasm from early adopters to mainstream systems programming. They analyze how Rust's strict stability guarantees, enforced by tools like Crater, contrast with the burnout risks seen in other language communities, while highlighting specific language features such as inline assembly, const generics, and captured identifiers in format strings that improve developer experience. The conversation also covers the psychological shift required to trust the compiler, the importance of tooling like Rust Analyzer and Clippy, and the community's approach to managing experimental features via nightly builds and RFCs.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Oxide Computer Company
Also
Rust, Swift, Python, Ruby, Perl, Haskell, tock, Hubris, Tokio, Axum, Clippy, Rust Analyzer, Cargo, LWN, Zulip

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast · 35m

    Rust with Milica Kostic

    Milica Kostic, an embedded software architect with a background in electrical engineering and safety-critical industries like medical devices, discusses her journey from C/C++ to adopting Rust in production. She explains that the most successful adoption occurred in a greenfield embedded Linux project using a microservice architecture, which allowed for clean isolation of Rust code and minimized complex C/C++ interoperability challenges. Kostic highlights the benefits of Rust's tooling, such as Cargo and built-in static analysis, while noting current limitations in microcontroller support, IDE tooling, and certified stacks like BLE.

    Embedded firmwareMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    8 chapters

  • The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast · 50m

    Exploring Rust for Embedded Systems with Philip Markgraf

    Philip Markgraf, an experienced software developer and technical leader, discusses his recent experience building an embedded device for Kelvin, a green energy company, using the Rust programming language. He contrasts Rust's memory safety, sophisticated type system, and excellent tooling with the complexities and legacy constraints of C and C++. Markgraf highlights how Rust's borrow checker and standardized libraries simplify development, improve reliability, and attract motivated engineers, while noting that adoption is still in the early stages for embedded systems compared to cloud computing.

    Embedded firmwareMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    9 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 08m

    190: Trust Me, I'm Right

    Matt Godbolt, a software engineer at DRW and creator of the open-source Compiler Explorer, discusses the tool's evolution from a personal shell script to a widely used web platform for comparing compiler outputs. He explains how the tool helps developers understand assembly generation, debug optimization issues, and settle arguments about C++ features like range-based for loops and constexpr. Godbolt also touches on his background in game development at Argonaut Games, the security challenges of running compilers in the cloud, and the future of systems programming languages like Rust.

    EDA & CAD toolsEmbedded firmware
    7 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 09m

    334: Bag of Heuristics

    Matt Godbolt, creator of Compiler Explorer (godbolt.org) and the jsbeeb BBC Micro emulator, discusses the evolution of his open-source tools, the technical details of compiler internals, and the nostalgia of 6502 computing. He explains how Compiler Explorer helps developers understand assembly output, manage ABI constraints, and debug compiler bugs, while also detailing the security and privacy challenges of running arbitrary code on a public web service. Godbolt also shares insights into the BBC Micro's hardware quirks, the impact of Hyrum's Law on legacy systems, and the shift from transparent hardware to opaque modern processors.

    EDA & CAD toolsEmbedded firmware
    7 chapters

  • The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast · 38m

    Luca's interviews and trip report from Embedded World 2024

    Luca and Jeff discuss Luca’s trip to Embedded World 2024, highlighting impromptu interviews with Luka Mustafa, CEO of IRNAS, and Francois Baldassari, CEO of Memfault. They observe that while AI was less dominant than expected, Rust and security were major themes, with Memfault’s platform gaining traction among semiconductor vendors like Nordic and NXP. The conversation also covers Bosch’s successful agile transformation and the industry’s slow but steady shift toward treating software quality as the core of product value.

    Embedded firmwareSecurity & privacy
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Oxide and Friends. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.