In the net-next branch, where changes for Linux kernel 6.8 are being developed, modifications have been included that add an initial Rust binding over the phylib abstraction layer, with the ax88796b_rust driver using this binding, providing support for the PHY interface of the Asix AX88772A Ethernet controller (100MBit). The driver includes 135 lines of code and is positioned as a simple working example for creating network drivers in Rust, ready for use with real hardware.
Functionally, the Rust driver is fully equivalent to the old ax88796b driver written in C and can be used with X-Surf 100 network cards equipped with the AX88796B chip. Both the C and Rust drivers will coexist in the kernel and can be enabled based on user preferences. To enable the Rust driver in Kconfig, the AX88796B_RUST_PHY setting is provided, along with the RUST_PHYLIB_ABSTRACTIONS parameter that also needs to enable the Rust binding over phylib.
Additionally, a Realtek Generic FE-GE Ethernet driver has been developed in Rust, which has not yet been proposed for inclusion in the kernel. A prototype of the rust-e1000 driver for Intel Ethernet adapters, rewritten in Rust, was also previously introduced.
Bron: opennet.ru
