[$] BPF as a safer kernel programming environment
For better or worse, C is the lingua franca in the world of kernelengineering. The core logic of the Linux kernel is written entirely inC (with a bit of assembly), as are its drivers and modules. While C isrightfully celebrated forits powerful yet simple semantics, it is an older language that lacksmany of the features present in modern languages such asRust. TheBPF subsystem, on the other hand,provides a programming environment that allows engineers to writeprograms that can run safely in kernel space. At the 2022 Linux Plumbers Conference in Dublin, Ireland, Alexei Starovoitov presented an overviewof how BPF has evolved over the years to provide a new model for kernelprogramming.