whatisgithub

What is rust?

mishaker/rust — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-14 · repo last pushed 2018-12-12

★ 1RustAudience · developerComplexity · 5/5DormantSetup · hard

In one sentence

This is the raw source code for the Rust programming language itself, including the compiler, standard library, and documentation. It is meant for contributors who want to modify or fix the language, not for people who just want to write Rust programs.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Compiles Rust code
      Provides standard library
      Includes official docs
    Tech stack
      Rust
      C++
      Python
    Use cases
      Fix compiler bugs
      Add standard library features
      Contribute to language
    Audience
      Language developers
      Compiler contributors
    Build requirements
      600MB to 1.5GB RAM
      Snapshot compiler
      C++ and Python
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Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Fix a bug in how the Rust compiler handles error messages.

USE CASE 2

Add a new function or feature to the Rust standard library.

USE CASE 3

Contribute improvements to the official Rust documentation.

USE CASE 4

Build a custom version of the Rust compiler from source.

What is it built with?

RustC++Python

How does it compare?

mishaker/rustabyo-software/ferro-stashariasbruno/glyph
Stars111
LanguageRustRustRust
Last pushed2018-12-12——
MaintenanceDormant——
Setup difficultyhardmoderateeasy
Complexity5/54/52/5
Audiencedeveloperops devopsdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires a C++ compiler, Python, 600MB to 1.5GB of RAM, and downloads a precompiled snapshot of the Rust compiler during the build process.

The explanation does not mention a specific license, so the terms of use are unknown.

So what is it?

This repository contains the source code for Rust, a programming language known for being safe and practical. If you're not building the language from scratch yourself, you'd normally install it using a standard installer rather than working with this raw code. The project provides the compiler that translates code into runnable programs, the standard library of pre-built tools, and official documentation. Building a programming language from its raw source is a heavy task. This code requires specific helper programs (like C++ compilers and Python) and enough memory to compile everything. A notable quirk of building Rust is that its own compiler is written in Rust, so the build process requires a precompiled "snapshot" version of the compiler to get started. It fetches this snapshot over the internet during the build, which effectively bootstraps the new version into existence. Someone working with this repository is almost certainly a language developer or contributor, not a typical software builder. For example, a contributor might want to fix a bug in how the compiler handles errors, or add a new feature to the standard library. The README provides detailed instructions for compiling the language on Windows, macOS, and Linux, including navigating the differences between Windows build environments. A practical tradeoff of working with this project is the sheer computing power required. The build process needs between 600 megabytes and 1.5 gigabytes of RAM to complete. The documentation warns that if the build process is forced to use swap space on your hard drive, the compilation will take a very long time to finish. This makes it clear that compiling a language from scratch is a resource-intensive task meant for dedicated machines.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Help me set up a local build environment for the Rust compiler from source on macOS, including installing the required C++ and Python dependencies.
Prompt 2
I want to contribute a bug fix to the Rust compiler. Walk me through cloning the repo, building the compiler using the snapshot bootstrap process, and running the test suite to verify my change.
Prompt 3
Explain the Rust compiler bootstrapping process and why a precompiled snapshot version is needed to build the compiler from source.
Prompt 4
I have 8GB of RAM on my Linux machine. Help me configure the build so it has enough memory and avoids using swap space, which would make compilation extremely slow.
Prompt 5
I want to add a new helper function to the Rust standard library. Guide me through finding the right files, making the change, building, and submitting a pull request.

Frequently asked questions

What is rust?

This is the raw source code for the Rust programming language itself, including the compiler, standard library, and documentation. It is meant for contributors who want to modify or fix the language, not for people who just want to write Rust programs.

What language is rust written in?

Mainly Rust. The stack also includes Rust, C++, Python.

Is rust actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2018-12-12).

What license does rust use?

The explanation does not mention a specific license, so the terms of use are unknown.

How hard is rust to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is rust for?

Mainly developer.

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