> At some point, memory management becomes an automatic process, you just don't think too much about it.
The thing with Rust is that this becomes literally true. Because the borrowck pass runs automatically with every Rust compile, and tells you where it could not prove that you're managing memory correctly. And yet, the single biggest obstacle for C/C++ developers trying to move on to Rust is that they keep "fighting with the borrow checker", with only a very low understanding of what it would take to fix their code so that it can pass the automated checks. This does not inspire much confidence.
Exactly. But in the "system" industry that reason only is not worth the effort. I already know how to ride a bicycle "by instinct". Why would I use the training wheels again? just in case?
I really hope libraries like libssl and other foundational (but not considered "system") libraries are rewritten in Rust, but also believe that they should not push lower than that (kernel, peripherals, bare-metal).
I'm not sure if I'd compare a type system to training wheels. In general, a type system will be able to tell you that you're doing something wrong, but won't be able to correct it. You're still managing the memory/lifetimes yourself. Something like garbage collection would be more like wheels, since it does the work for you.
The thing with Rust is that this becomes literally true. Because the borrowck pass runs automatically with every Rust compile, and tells you where it could not prove that you're managing memory correctly. And yet, the single biggest obstacle for C/C++ developers trying to move on to Rust is that they keep "fighting with the borrow checker", with only a very low understanding of what it would take to fix their code so that it can pass the automated checks. This does not inspire much confidence.