Google's C Binder Driver Removed With Rust Binder Ready For "Few Billion Devices"
Linus Torvalds merged the removal of Google's C-written Binder driver for the Linux 7.4 kernel on Saturday, replacing it with a Rust-based version.
The C implementation of the Binder driver, a critical inter-process communication mechanism for Android, has been permanently removed from the Linux kernel. This change, included in the Linux 7.4 kernel merge, signals a major transition for the platform's core infrastructure.
The old C driver had become increasingly complex and difficult to maintain over the years. In contrast, the Rust-based Binder driver has matured to a state of feature parity and, in some tests, has demonstrated superior performance.
"removal of the C binder code, the rust version is stable and will be used going forward in a few billion devices. Great job by those developers."
Rust Binder Driver Replaces C Implementation
The Rust Binder driver is now the sole focus for Google on this IPC system. It is positioned to become the standard driver for all future Android devices, ensuring a more stable and manageable codebase.
This move is a significant milestone for the Linux kernel's Rust project, as the Binder driver is one of the earliest and most prominent Rust kernel drivers. The kernel's char/misc subsystem also received various other updates and small fixes as part of this pull request.
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