While Linux 7.0 is the next kernel version solely over Linus Torvalds’ numbering preference, there is a notable symbolic change that was sent in overnight for this new kernel merge window: formally concluding the “Rust experiment” with upstream kernel developers now in acceptance that Rust for the Linux kernel is here to stay.
The patch was talked about back in December that the Rust experiment is over and it’s here to stay. There are already uses for Rust in production environments, some Linux distributions shipping with Rust kernel code, and millions of Android devices also using it.
The kernel is licensed under GPL, specifically only version 2. And it can’t be relicensed, since it contains code from many people. The poster above is complaining about command-line utilities that are being rewritten in Rust.
Binary-only modules can be used with the kernel, because
they don’t use the kernel’s source, only the API ora GPL middleware is made that is compiled with kernel header files, but provides an intermediary API for the binaries. I’m not quite versed in what exactly is allowed and prohibited by GPL.Edit: Linux-syscall-note explicitly places the boundary of ‘derivative works’ at syscalls — so userspace programs aren’t considered derivative and don’t have to be licensed under GPL, but kernel modules are.