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Using C instead of Rust is similar to rolling your own crypto because openssl is too hard. There are easy languages like Python or Go. But they are not suitabl

by phicoh 5y ago

Using C instead of Rust is similar to rolling your own crypto because openssl is too hard. There are easy languages like Python or Go. But they are not suitable for many low-level, high performance tasks. Rust is competing in the domain of easy to use languages. It is about low-level system code. Edit: Rust in not competing in the domain of easy to use language

yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
> Using C instead of Rust is similar to rolling your own crypto because openssl is too hard. Probably, yeah. At least in a world where openssl is actually so hard that doing stuff yourself seems like a reasonable idea, because theoretically secure doesn't do anything for you if the thing is too hard to actually use - there's a reason PHP utterly dominated webdev even when it sucked for security. > Rust is competing in the domain of easy to use languages. Then it loses. If you meant to write that Rust is not competing for easy to use, then it loses separately, because technically superior but too high of a barrier to entry still loses (there is a reason we aren't all exclusively running software written in Ada on OpenBSD).
- pyjarrett 5y ago
  In what way does Ada have a high bar to entry? You just need GCC to get started with it.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
    It's not about compiling code, it's about being able to write it. IMO, C is easier to write than Ada. (Write badly, perhaps, but this is about the lowest barrier to entry)
bluejekyll 5y ago
> Rust in not competing in the domain of easy to use language In a sense Rust very much is competing in this space. Consider the extensions to JS (wasm), Ruby, Python, and others that make it easy to call out to Rust. This is being used for performance critical sections of code (or access to high quality stable network and security focused libraries). This competes directly with that native language but offers a path that is easier than C or other options. Rust appears to be finding a lot of success in that space.

by phicoh 5y ago

yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago

> Using C instead of Rust is similar to rolling your own crypto because openssl is too hard. Probably, yeah. At least in a world where openssl is actually so hard that doing stuff yourself seems like a reasonable idea, because theoretically secure doesn't do anything for you if the thing is too hard to actually use - there's a reason PHP utterly dominated webdev even when it sucked for security. > Rust is competing in the domain of easy to use languages. Then it loses. If you meant to write that Rust is not competing for easy to use, then it loses separately, because technically superior but too high of a barrier to entry still loses (there is a reason we aren't all exclusively running software written in Ada on OpenBSD).

pyjarrett 5y ago
In what way does Ada have a high bar to entry? You just need GCC to get started with it.
- yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
  It's not about compiling code, it's about being able to write it. IMO, C is easier to write than Ada. (Write badly, perhaps, but this is about the lowest barrier to entry)

bluejekyll 5y ago

> Rust in not competing in the domain of easy to use language In a sense Rust very much is competing in this space. Consider the extensions to JS (wasm), Ruby, Python, and others that make it easy to call out to Rust. This is being used for performance critical sections of code (or access to high quality stable network and security focused libraries). This competes directly with that native language but offers a path that is easier than C or other options. Rust appears to be finding a lot of success in that space.