Practical System programming for Rust developers: Learn to build fast and secure system software with the help of practical examples

Get to grips with using Rust effectively and explore best practices for developing efficient and reliable software

Key Features

• Learn techniques to design and build system tools and utilities in Rust
• Explore the different features of the Rust standard library for interacting with operating systems
• Gain an in-depth understanding of the Rust programming language by writing low-level software

Book Description

Modern programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, and Java have become increasingly accepted for application-level programming, but for systems programming, C and C++ are predominantly used due to the need for low-level control of system resources. Rust promises the best of three worlds: the type safety of Java, the speed and expressiveness of C++, and memory safety without a garbage collector. This book is a comprehensive introduction if you’re new to Rust and systems programming and are looking to build reliable and efficient systems software without C or C++.

The book takes a unique approach by starting each topic with Linux kernel concepts and APIs relevant to that topic. You’ll also explore how system resources can be controlled from Rust. As you progress, you’ll delve into advanced topics. You’ll cover network programming, focusing on aspects such as working with low-level network primitives and protocols in Rust, before going on to learn how to use and compile Rust with WebAssembly. Later chapters will take you through practical code examples and projects to help you build on your knowledge.

By the end of this Rust programming book, you will be equipped with practical skills to write systems software tools, libraries, and utilities in Rust.

What you will learn

• Gain a solid understanding of how system resources are managed
• Use Rust confidently to control and operate a Linux or Unix system
• Understand how to write a host of practical systems software tools and utilities
• Delve into memory management with the memory layout of Rust programs
• Transform code samples into full-fledged production-ready tools
• Discover the capabilities and features of the Rust standard library
• Explore external crates to improve productivity for future Rust programming projects

Who This Book Is For

This book is for developers with basic knowledge of Rust but little to no knowledge or experience of systems programming. System programmers who want to consider Rust as an alternative to C or C++ will also find this book useful.