> I like Rust, but I don't understand why "OS written in [language]" is a compelling goal within itself.
There's a few good reasons in my mind:
* proof of concept - if a language claims to be a systems language, being able to point to an OS in it is pretty good proof that it's true.
* dogfooding - if there are problems with how the language works for the OS case, they can be highlighted by the OS. (this is similar to self hosting a compiler)
* community building - some folks want to work on a new OS, and doing it in a specific language helps grow both groups and at least introduces them to each other.
There's a few good reasons in my mind:
* proof of concept - if a language claims to be a systems language, being able to point to an OS in it is pretty good proof that it's true.
* dogfooding - if there are problems with how the language works for the OS case, they can be highlighted by the OS. (this is similar to self hosting a compiler)
* community building - some folks want to work on a new OS, and doing it in a specific language helps grow both groups and at least introduces them to each other.