The Next Big Thing: Rust for Linux Drivers

About the Course

70% of all security vulnerabilities in operating systems (Microsoft, Google) result from memory management bugs: buffer overflow, use-after-free, double-free. In response to these challenges, Rust has officially entered the Linux kernel mainline (v6.1).

Rust is a systems language guaranteeing memory safety at compile time — without a garbage collector, with performance comparable to C. This is not an academic experiment, but a strategic step toward eliminating entire classes of bugs.

For the STM32MP1 platform, used in critical applications (IoT gateways, HMI, medical devices), Rust means drivers that:

• Have no memory leaks — RAII frees resources automatically
• Have no data races — the compiler blocks access without locks
• Enforce error handling — Result<T, E> instead of ignored return codes

You don’t need to know Rust — Day 1 is an intensive “accelerator” for C programmers.

🎯 Project Goal: “GPIO Driver in Rust”

During the course, we write a real driver, not copy examples. Participants will create a kernel module that:

✓ Controls an LED via the BSRR register (atomic write, no race condition)

✓ Handles a button interrupt (User Button) with press counter

✓ Exposes a file interface /dev/stm32_rust for userspace communication

✓ Is controlled from Python — script blinks the LED and reads button state

✓ Automatically frees resources — thanks to RAII and the Drop trait

✓ Compiles in Yocto — full integration with the OpenSTLinux ecosystem

📅 Training Program

DAY 1: The Language – From C to Rust in One Day

Intensive “accelerator” for C programmers. You don’t need to know Rust — you’ll learn it here.

Module 1.1: Why Rust in the Kernel?

• Case study: Use-after-free bug and how the Rust compiler blocks it
• CVE statistics: 70% are memory bugs — can we eliminate them?
• The “Safe Rust” myth: the role of unsafe in kernel code

Module 1.2: Ownership Model

• Mapping C concepts → Rust: kmalloc/kfree → Box, mutex → Mutex<Data>, refcount_t → Arc
• Borrow Checker: why the compiler complains and how to fix it
• Lab: Rewriting a C code fragment to Rust

Module 1.3: Yocto Configuration for Rust

• 32-bit ARM challenges (Tier 2): bindgen, ABI, memory alignment
• Kernel configuration with Rust support
• Lab: Preparing the Yocto layer and building the image

Module 1.4: First Module — “Hello STM32MP1”

• Rust kernel module structure: module! macro, Module trait, Drop trait
• Automatic resource management (RAII) vs manual kfree in C
• Lab: Compiling and loading the first module

DAY 2: The Hardware – Platform Drivers and MMIO

Interaction with STM32MP1 hardware. Safe access to GPIO registers.

Module 2.1: STM32MP1 Memory Map

• Memory Mapped I/O: registers as addresses in processor space
• GPIO registers: MODER, ODR, BSRR — modes and atomic operations
• Why BSRR? The Read-Modify-Write problem on multi-core SoC

Module 2.2: Device Tree and Platform Driver

• Binding Device Tree entry with driver
• PlatformDriver trait in Rust (kernel 6.6+)
• Lab: Device Tree modification, driver registration

Module 2.3: Safe Register Access (IoMem)

• Problem: readl/writel as raw pointers → unsafe
• Solution: IoMem<SIZE> abstraction and Devres
• Lab: Implementing probe, GPIO mapping

Module 2.4: LED Control

• unsafe blocks — when and why they’re necessary
• Limiting unsafe to minimal scope
• Lab: Blinking an LED from the driver

DAY 3: The Integration – Interrupts, Userspace, and Final Project

Button handling, file interface, and Python application integration.

Module 3.1: Interrupt Handling (IRQ)

• User button as an interrupt source
• Registering a threaded IRQ
• Synchronization: SpinLock vs Mutex — compiler enforces correctness
• Lab: Button handling with press counter

Module 3.2: File Interface (Character Device)

• Registering miscdevice — /dev/stm32_rust file
• file::Operations trait: implementing read/write
• Lab: LED control and counter reading via device file

Module 3.3: Final Project

• Integration of all elements into one driver
• Communication with userspace application (Python)
• Lab: Complete driver with file interface and interrupt handling

Module 3.4: Summary and Q&A

• C vs Rust comparison: memory management, errors, concurrency, size
• Binary size optimization
• Future of Rust in the Linux kernel
• Consultation on your own projects

💰 Pricing

FULL RUST EXPERIENCE (3 Days)

Complete training from Rust basics to a working driver with userspace interface.

Don’t know Rust? That’s fine — Day 1 is an intensive “accelerator” for C programmers. You leave with solid language foundations.

🏆 Why is it worth it?

🛠️ Requirements

Hardware (provided):

• STM32MP157C-DK2 board
• 16GB microSD card
• USB Type-C cable, USB-UART converter

Software:

• Docker container with pre-configured Yocto + Rust toolchain
• VS Code with rust-analyzer (real-time code suggestions)

Participant knowledge:

• C language (pointers, structures, memory management)
• Linux kernel basics (user space vs kernel space, modules)
• Rust is NOT required — you’ll learn on-site

🎁 Hardware stays with participants after the workshop!

Want to reserve a date for your team? Contact me to arrange details. Join the revolution — write drivers that have no memory leaks.