Linux Kernel Daily: Randstruct Settles Down for Rust Builds
A single hardening merge from Kees Cook adjusts the default state of the randstruct feature when Rust is enabled, aimed at improving allmodconfig build coverage. The change came from Mark Brown and landed via Linus Torvalds' merge.
Duration: PT1M34S
Episode overview
This episode is a short developer briefing from Linux Kernel Daily.
It explains recent repository work in plain language.
- Show: Linux Kernel Daily
- Published: 2026-09-03T06:01:19Z
- Audio duration: PT1M34S
Transcript excerpt
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Good day, and welcome to Linux Kernel Daily for September third, twenty twenty-six.
Today's activity is light, but it's worth a mention for anyone tracking build configuration health across the kernel.
Linus Torvalds merged a single hardening fix from Kees Cook, commit nine-four-zero-d-e-five-nine. The change, authored by Mark Brown, turns off randstruct by default when Rust support is enabled. Randstruct is a hardening feature that randomizes structure layouts to make certain exploit techniques harder. The…
This is a small tweak, but it matters for anyone who relies on allmodconfig to catch build breakage before it ships. If your test pipeline builds with Rust support and randstruct together, expect the default posture to shift, randstruct now steps aside in that combination rather than fighting for compatibility.
What's next: developers doing security-focused builds who specifically want randstruct alongside Rust support will need to enable it explicitly rather than assuming the default. Keep an eye on how this interacts with future Rust kernel work, since hardening and language interoperability will likely keep intersecting…
That's the briefing for today. Back tomorrow with more…
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