Writing an Embedded Operating System in Rust
summary
Claims a complete embedded OS written in Rust called Tock OS runs on ARM Cortex-M and RISC‑V hardware, uses Rust safety for untrusted code and RISC‑V PMP / ARM MPU to enforce process isolation, keeps drivers and core kernel in controlled unsafe wrappers while forbidding unsafe in capsules, includes inline assembly startup and DMA-capable drivers, reports Rust performance near C (nvme rewrite shows parity, worst ~2.5% slower), and notes real issues: lifetimes, hidden panics causing kernel crashes, and linker/LTO bloat.
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chapters (16)
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:42Why Rust?
- 2:57Memory safety
- 4:34Rust vs C
- 5:26Language differences
- 7:09C and Rust examples
- 9:32Embedded Rust libraries
- 11:04The Tock project
- 12:44Tock architecture
- 14:03Process isolation
- 15:00Generics and hardware
- 16:57Inline assembly
- 19:05Pain points: Lifetimes
- 20:13Pain points: Panics
- 22:42Pain points: Overhead
- 24:11Q&A
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