OpenIndiana, the open-source operating system built atop Illumos and derived from OpenSolaris, is undertaking an ambitious project to modernize its package management system, called IPS (Image Packaging System).

Migration to Rust

The main initiative consists of completely rewriting the IPS code, currently based on C and Python, using the Rust language. This choice is motivated by the advantages that Rust offers in terms of memory safety and concurrency, crucial elements for a package management system.

The migration to Rust should lead to a more robust, secure, and performant system, facilitating maintenance and feature extension over time. The project is still in its early stages, but represents a significant step for the future of OpenIndiana and the community of developers that supports it.