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‎blog/2024-12-29-rust-gpu-0.10.md‎

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---
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title: "Announcing Rust GPU 0.10"
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slug: rust-gpu-0.10
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tags: ["announcement", "release"]
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draft: true
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---
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# Announcing Rust GPU 0.10
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The Rust GPU maintainers are happy to announce a new version of [Rust
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GPU](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu), 0.10. Rust GPU makes it possible to write
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and run GPU software in Rust.
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This release is our first as a [community-owned project](/blog/transition-announcement).
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One of our goals is to move releases to a more frequent and rapid pace—the last release
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was on July 25, 2023!
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We're eager to add more users and contributors. To follow along or get involved, check out the [`rust-gpu` repo on GitHub](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu).
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<!-- truncate -->
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## What's new in 0.10
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### Update Rust requirement to a modern version
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Rust GPU includes a compiler backend that compiles regular Rust code into
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[SPIR-V](https://www.khronos.org/spir/), a low-level format that [most GPUs
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understand](https://vulkan.gpuinfo.org/). Because of this deep integration with compiler
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internals, Rust GPU must use a very specific version of the Rust compiler. Rust GPU now
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supports `nightly-2024-11-22` (up from the ancient `nightly-2023-05-27`). This roughly
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corresponds to [Rust 1.83](https://blog.rust-lang.org/2024/11/28/Rust-1.83.0.html).
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:::tip
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Most real-world projects like [`krnl`](https://github.com/charles-r-earp/krnl) and
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[`renderling`](https://github.com/schell/renderling) compile their GPU code with Rust
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GPU's specific version of nightly while using stable Rust for the rest of their code. We
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are in the process of making this workflow much easier.
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:::
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Updating to a newer nightly version required heroic effort from
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[@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb), as significant breaking changes to Rust's [internal
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allocation model](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/122053) and
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[`#[repr(simd)]`](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/129403) were introduced in
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`rustc`. [@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb) was able to [vendor in parts of `rustc` and
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patch out others](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/170), unblocking the update
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and buying us time to [figure out the best way
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forward](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/issues/182).
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Rust GPU is an "out-of-tree" compiler backend. This enables fast iteration while we
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explore the problem space, but also makes us more susceptible to this sort of breakage.
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One of our long-term goals is to be a supported `rustc` backend.
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### **Mesh shader support**
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Rust GPU maintainer [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99) and contributor
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[@BeastLe9enD](https://github.com/BeastLe9enD) added support for [mesh
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shaders](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/44).
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[Mesh shaders](https://www.khronos.org/blog/mesh-shading-for-vulkan) are a modern GPU
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feature that replace traditional vertex and geometry shaders. They give GPU developers
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more control over the entire pipeline by letting them directly process batches of
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vertices and primitives in compute-like shaders. This allows for more efficient culling,
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level-of-detail calculations, and custom pipeline logic—all on the GPU.
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An example of a Rust GPU mesh shader that outputs points:
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```
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use spirv_std::arch::set_mesh_outputs_ext;
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use spirv_std::glam::{UVec2, Vec4};
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use spirv_std::spirv;
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#[spirv(mesh_ext(
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threads(1),
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output_vertices = 1,
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output_primitives_ext = 1,
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output_points
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))]
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pub fn main(
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#[spirv(position)] positions: &mut [Vec4; 1],
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#[spirv(primitive_point_indices_ext)] indices: &mut [u32; 1],
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) {
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unsafe {
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set_mesh_outputs_ext(1, 1);
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}
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positions[0] = Vec4::new(-0.5, 0.5, 0.0, 1.0);
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indices[0] = 0;
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}
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```
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An example of a Rust GPU mesh task shader:
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```
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use spirv_std::arch::emit_mesh_tasks_ext;
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use spirv_std::spirv;
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#[spirv(task_ext(threads(1)))]
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pub fn main() {
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unsafe {
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emit_mesh_tasks_ext(1, 2, 3);
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}
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}
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```
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### **Subgroup support**
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[@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99) also added support for subgroups via
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[subgroup intrinsics](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/14).
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[Subgroups](https://www.khronos.org/blog/vulkan-subgroup-tutorial) are small groups of
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threads within a workgroup that can share data and perform synchronized operations more
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efficiently. For example, using subgroup intrinsics you can:
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- Perform reductions (e.g., sum, min, max) across threads in a subgroup.
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- Share intermediate results without relying on global memory, reducing latency.
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- Implement algorithms like prefix sums or parallel sorting more effectively.
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Here is a simple Rust GPU example to demonstrate subgroup reduction:
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```rust
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use glam::UVec3;
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use spirv_std::spirv;
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unsafe fn subgroup_i_add_reduce(value: u32) -> u32 {
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spirv_std::arch::subgroup_i_add(value)
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}
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#[spirv(compute(threads(32, 1, 1)))]
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pub fn main(#[spirv(local_invocation_id)] local_invocation_id: UVec3) {
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unsafe {
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subgroup_i_add_reduce(local_invocation_id.x);
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}
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}
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```
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## Added `TypedBuffer`
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[@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb) and [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99)
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[introduced `TypedBuffer`](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/16), an explicit
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way to declare inputs and outputs as buffers. This enables declaring an "array of buffer
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descriptors containing something" as is common in [bindless
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textures](https://computergraphics.stackexchange.com/questions/10794/binding-vs-bindless).
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Here is an example of using
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[`TypedBuffer`](https://rust-gpu.github.io/rust-gpu/api/spirv_std/struct.TypedBuffer.html)
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in a fragment shader:
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```rust
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use glam::Vec4;
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use spirv_std::TypedBuffer;
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use spirv_std::spirv;
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#[spirv(fragment)]
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pub fn main(
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#[spirv(storage_buffer, descriptor_set = 0, binding = 0)] single: &TypedBuffer<Vec4>,
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#[spirv(storage_buffer, descriptor_set = 0, binding = 1)] single_mut: &mut TypedBuffer<Vec4>,
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) {
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**single_mut = **single;
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}
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```
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### Read-only buffer support for `ByteAddressableBuffer`
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Thanks to [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99),
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[`ByteAddressableBuffer`](https://rust-gpu.github.io/rust-gpu/api/spirv_std/byte_addressable_buffer/struct.ByteAddressableBuffer.html)
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now supports [reading from read-only
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buffers](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/17). Previously the buffers needed to
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be read-write. Using read-only buffers can improve performance for immutable data.
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### Dependency updates
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We updated key GPU dependencies like [`glam`](https://github.com/bitshifter/glam-rs).
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One of the unique benefits of Rust on the GPU is that we use the exact `glam` crate from
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[crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/glam), so this was a simple `Cargo.toml` update.
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Additionally, examples now use the latest versions of CPU-side crates such as
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[`ash`](https://github.com/ash-rs/ash) and [`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu).
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## Other related changes
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### SPIR-V atomics in `wgpu`
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Rust GPU maintainer [@schell](https://github.com/schell) added [SPIR-V atomic support to
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`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/issues/4489). This was part of his work on
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[`renderling`](https://github.com/schell/renderling), a project built with Rust GPU. The
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change enables Rust GPU programs to use atomics and integrate with CPU-side code managed
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by [`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu). Funding came from a grant by
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[NLnet](https://nlnet.nl/).
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### Rustlantis integration
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[@FractalFir](https://github.com/FractalFir) created
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[`rustc_codegen_clr`](https://github.com/FractalFir/rustc_codegen_clr), an experimental
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Rust compiler backend that converts Rust into .NET assemblies or C source files. He
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adapted [Rustlantis](https://github.com/cbeuw/rustlantis), a MIR fuzzer for generating
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complex test programs, to support his project.
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When Rust GPU maintainers asked if the changes could help Rust GPU,
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[`@FractalFir`](https://github.com/FractalFir) took the extra step of updating his
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Rustlantis fork to support it as well. This collaboration has already uncovered three
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issues in Rust GPU. We plan to continue investing in Rustlantis support to improve
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automated testing and actively hunt for bugs.
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### New website
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Rust GPU maintainer [@LegNeato](https://github.com/LegNeato) added a [new website for
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the project](https://rust-gpu.github.io/) using [Docusaurus](https://docusaurus.io/). He
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also created some Docusaurus
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[plugins](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu.github.io/tree/main/src/plugins) and
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[components](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu.github.io/tree/main/src/components/Snippet)
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to better support the project's needs. Finally, he wrote a blog post about [optimizing a
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Rust GPU matmul kernel](/blog/optimizing-matmul) that was popular on
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[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/1gzmchn/optimizing_a_rust_gpu_matmul_kernel/)
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and [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42280697).
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## Community
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Thank you to the 13 community contributors, most of whom contributed for the first time:
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[BeastLe9enD](https://github.com/BeastLe9enD), [beef
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(`@fee1-dead`)](https://github.com/fee1-dead), [Brice Videau
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(`@Kerilk`)](https://github.com/Kerilk) [Bruce Mitchener
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(`@waywardmonkeys`)](https://github.com/waywardmonkeys),
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[`@FractalFir`](https://github.com/FractalFir), [Fredrik Fornwall
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(`@fornwall`)](https://github.com/fornwall), [Gray Olson
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(`@fu5ha`)](https://github.com/fu5ha), [Jake Shadle](https://github.com/Jake-Shadle),
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[Léo Gaspard (`@Ekleog`)](https://github.com/Ekleog), [Rowan Jones
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(`@ArrEssJay`)](https://github.com/ArrEssJay), [Marek Bernat
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(`@mbernat`)](https://github.com/mbernat), [Viktor Zoutman
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(`@VZout`)](https://github.com/VZout), [`@Zanciks`](https://github.com/zanciks)
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We're especially grateful that [`@Zanciks`](https://github.com/Zanciks) chose Rust GPU for
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their first ever open source contribution!
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## Maintainers
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As [previously announced](/blog/transition-announcement), Rust GPU has four active
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maintainers who contributed to this release (in alphabetical order):
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1. [Christian Legnitto (LegNeato)](https://github.com/LegNeato)
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2. [Eduard-Mihai Burtescu (eddyb)](https://github.com/eddyb)
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3. [Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99)
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4. [Schell Carl Scivally (schell)](https://github.com/schell)
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<br/>
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We're always looking for active contributors to become new maintainers. [Join us](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu) and make an impact!

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