Microsoft will use the Rust programming language in the Windows 11 code kernel to improve efficiency and safety.

Among the oldest and most aggressive operating systems, Windows introduced the world to how a PC should run. Since it is the oldest OS, it is hard to write its back-end code. You should know that these channel codes are well-written in the C and C++ languages. However, it is also acceptable that these channel codes have a few downsides. Being a dominant learner, Windows soon rewrote its kernel’s inside components.

The kernel is a core part of your PC that aligns with internal programming. As it loads after the bootloader, it coordinates and controls every program and process. Like other components of Windows, it is also written in the Windows Authentic C++ language. However, Microsoft’s OS & Security Vice President, David Weston, recently made a significant announcement that aims to rewrite the kernel inside. So, let’s check what he said.

Microsoft is working to replace Windows 11 kernel code with Rust.

Since Windows 11, we have all expected a lot from it, so we usually hope for a Windows successor. Of course, developers have addressed those issues well. However, David Weston’s recent announcement about the Windows 11 kernel code is new. During the Bluehat IL 2023 conference, David Weston said, “We are not flawless and always strive to improve the user experience.” In this context, he examined the present security status and found that Windows was getting many bugs, attacks, and memory errors.

A complex engineered system like the real world is prone to bugs, but attacks can’t be avoided. For this reason, developers finally decided to switch some of the kernel code to be written in Rust. For those who do not know, Rust is also a programming language developed by Graydon Hoare (a Mozilla engineer) in 2006. Microsoft chose Rust because it prevents memory errors, is easy to write, and uses an ownership and lending system to ensure each piece of data has a single owner.

As a result, Microsoft Windows developers develop kernel codes more quickly, reducing bugs, attacks, and memory errors. Despite officials’ efforts to explain the reasons for switching to Rust, there appears to be confusion about why developers chose Rust. So, below, we are sharing a list of reasons why the Windows kernel’s parts need to be rewritten based on Rust.

• To reduce bugs, attacks, and memory errors
• To provide memory safety without garbage collection
• To perform better in embedded and device-based development
• It works perfectly for writing low-level software like kernel OS, microcontroller devices, etc.
• It can run multiple computations simultaneously.
• Rust works better regarding concurrency, safety, and speed than C++.

Meanwhile, adopting Rust to write the core kernel insides will mainly improve the previous security downfalls. According to an official statement, developers plan to use this new coding language for at least two years. You will be surprised that Microsoft has already written 36,000 lines of code in Rust to reduce legacy attacks on their core programming language. It is not the first time a dominant company has switched to Rust.

You will be glad that companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Dropbox have switched to Rust. Windows developers have already set up a dedicated team to implement Rust since Rust has already proven to be a beloved language trusted by developers for the last six years. From there, Rust has much potential to compete with the downsides of the C++ language. So, be ready for the Windows 11 kernel code to be newly written in Rust, as developers will roll it out in the coming weeks.

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