From: sylvia@email.invalid
On 20-July-25 11:02 am, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
> Ben Collver wrote:
>> Algol For Linux
>> ===============
>> Bringing Memory Safety to the Linux Kernel
>> Est. 1958
>>
>> About ALGOL-FOR-LINUX
>> =====================
>> Welcome to the ALGOL-FOR-LINUX initiative that's bringing the
>> time-tested memory safety of ALGOL68 to the Linux kernel. While
>> others are experimenting with newfangled languages like Rust, we
>> believe in returning to the roots of computing excellence.
>>
>> ALGOL (ALGOrithmic Language) was designed in the late 1950s with
>> memory safety principles that were decades ahead of their time.
>> By integrating ALGOL68 into the Linux kernel, we're not just
>> improving security--we're making a statement about the cyclical
>> nature of computer science innovation and drawing attention to the
>> neglected history of the field.
>>
>> ALGOL68 is the 3rd major specification of ALGOL and an ambitious
>> redesign of the language. It has been regarded as one of the most
>> influencial programming languages of all times, notable for being
>> especially efficient, elegant, and correct. Security follows
>> naturally.
>>
>> ALGOL68
>>
>>
>> In 2022, the Linux kernel got support for a 2nd high-level language.
>> But Rust insists upon itself. By 2026, Linux will finally get memory
>> safety done right.
>>
>> Memory safety mechanisms are not recent innovations but established
>> techniques dating back to 1961--when they were successfully
>> implemented in ALGOL. These mechanisms address persistent failure
>> modes in systems programming. Contrary to common assertions in
>> systems programming communities, these approaches have historical
>> precedent and proven effectiveness. The safety features in
>> ALGOL-FOR-LINUX build upon this technical lineage rather than
>> representing a novel experimental approach.
>>
>> Why ALGOL Is Superior for Kernel Development
>> ============================================
>> џ”’
>>
>> Memory Safety Since 1958
>> ------------------------
>> While Rust developers boast about their memory safety, ALGOL has
>> been safely managing memory since before most rustaceans were born.
>> џ“њ
>>
>> Beautiful Syntax
>> ----------------
>> With keywords like 'begin', 'end', and the elegant semicolon,
>> ALGOL's syntax is so intuitive that even managers can read it. No
>> more cryptic ownership semantics or lifetime annotations!
>> пёЏ
>>
>> Time-Tested Performance
>> -----------------------
>> Originally designed for resource-constrained environments by modern
>> standards, ALGOL's inherent efficiency translates exceptionally well
>> to modern hardware. Current implementations demonstrate performance
>> characteristics comparable to established systems languages.
>> џ§
>>
>> Cognitive Simplicity
>> --------------------
>> Unlike Rust's complex borrow checker, ALGOL's memory model is so
>> simple that developers can focus on writing code instead of fighting
>> the compiler.
>>
>> Emacs icon
>>
>>
>> Modern development tools
>> ------------------------
>> ALGOL 68 mode provides comprehensive support for Emacs, featuring
>> automatic indentation and complete font locking with syntax
>> highlighting for all three comment styles.
>>
>> Modern development tools
>>
>>
>> Rust icon
>>
>>
>> Pioneering Memory Safety
>> ------------------------
>> Rust, developed by Mozilla, implements similar safety guarantees to
>> those originally pioneered in ALGOL, demonstrating the viability of
>> non-garbage-collected memory-safe languages.
>>
>> Technical Arguments
>> -------------------
>> Opponents of ALGOL often claim the complexity of ALGOL68 delayed
>> implementation long enough for other languages to catch up. While it
>> was simply damn hard ~1970 to implement memory-safe languages
>> ​like ALGOL and Pascal, and when Ritchie made large parts of the
>> behavior "undefined" he also made the compiler very easy to
>> implement so they moved forward quickly, the KISS principle.
>>
>> With Rust already being given a green light by the community, it's
>> now time for ALGOL to step in. The cognitive load of Rust is higher
>> than for ALGOL while providing less and still not being formally defined.
>>
>> ALGOL-FOR-LINUX will allow us to take advantage of modern features as
>> those in CHERI without the encumberment of a rushed language like
>> C. By using ALGOL with strong types we will have ensured: stack
>> overflow checking, array/pointer bounds checking, pointer protection,
>> tags to prevent execution of data, and much more.
>>
>> CHERI
>> > Capability_Hardware_Enhanced_RISC_Instructions>
>>
>> Claims that safe, non-GC systems languages are a recent development
>> ignore six decades of prior art, often by conflating "safety" with
>> garbage collection or runtime overhead, which ALGOL disproved outright.
>>
>> Read more about ALGOL-FOR-LINUX at our announcement on the Linux
>> kernel mailing list
>>
>> LKML
>>
>>
>> What Kernel Developers Are Saying
>> =================================
>>> After spending weeks fighting with Rust's borrow checker, I
>>> discovered ALGOL-FOR-LINUX. Now I spend my time fighting on IRC.
>>> It's a refreshing change!"
>>> --Anonymous Kernel Developer
>>
>>> I think that we could have another nice memory-safe language like
>>> ALGOL 68 in the Linux kernel, alongside C.
>>> --Linus, you know which
>>
>>> ALGOL's 'begin' and 'end' keywords bring a sense of ceremony to
>>> kernel development that's been missing since its inception. Each
>>> function feels like a special event."
>>> --Hector Martin "marcan" Cantero, Linux Hacker
>>
>> ALGOL-FOR-LINUX Roadmap
>> =======================
>> Phase 1: Awareness (Done)
>> -------------------------
>> Convince the Linux community that ALGOL68 can be part of the future
>> of kernel development.
>>
>> Phase 2: Infrastructure (Current)
>> ---------------------------------
>> Resurrect ALGOL compilers and integrate them with modern build
>> systems.
>>
>> Phase 3: Implementation
>> -----------------------
>> Write device drivers in ALGOL.
>>
>> Phase 4: Domination
>> -------------------
>> Complete transition to ALGOL-FOR-LINUX. Begin work on
>> ALGOL68-FOR-USERSPACE to create the ultimate computing environment.
>>
>> Thank you to MATACORP, for generous grants in 2022, 2023, and 2024!
>>
>> We are grateful for the continued support of MATACORP, which has
>> been instrumental in our success and growth over the past three
>> years.
>>
>> MATACORP-
>>
>>
>> MATACORP image
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