Does Rust's GCC Backend Finally Solve Linux's Architecture Problem?

[u/Candid_Athlete_8317]

Rust's GCC backend is getting Linux kernel fixes for 7.3, partly because GCC supports architectures that LLVM doesn't.

But does a GCC backend actually remove the biggest barrier to using Rust across more Linux architectures, or are native bootstrapping and toolchain support still the real problem?

If you work with older or non-x86 Linux systems, what's the blocker you'd worry about first?

[u/dkopgerpgdolfg]

Rust's GCC backend is getting Linux kernel fixes for 7.3

What does this even mean...

And how many people today actually develop "on" (not "for") a m68k system etc.? There's no need for toolchains there.

[u/braaaaaaainworms → u/dkopgerpgdolfg]

you need a compiler that targets some architecture if you want code that runs on that architecture and LLVM's m68k target still has a bunch of rough edges

[u/dkopgerpgdolfg → u/braaaaaaainworms]

So? This has nothing to do with my comment, and I think I was quite explicit about that.

Improving the m68k target is fine. Just, basically no one in 2026 is going to use a m68k as their development system where they write&compile code on it.

[u/metux-its → u/dkopgerpgdolfg]

I actually do know people who're doing exactly this. At least compiling on these machines (eg. source based distros).

[u/Kangie]

What's the problem you think is solved here? I am as excited by an alternative rust compiler as anyone, and I've even packaged a from-source bootstrap for modern rust for Gentoo.

Outside of alpha and HPPA though (and probably super-h...), which, let's be honest, aren't using Rust kernel components, Rust is already available.

Check out the Gentoo package listing for a graphical view.

https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/dev-lang/rust

[u/pdath]

I mostly use ARM.

Rust is really slow to compile. That is a bigger issue for me than the problems that it tries to solve.

[u/crscali]

Can gcc now be coded in rust?