How to Install Rust on Ubuntu

Rust, a systems programming language, has gained popularity in recent years due to its focus on memory safety, performance, and concurrency. As a Ubuntu user, you can utilize Rust’s capabilities to build efficient and reliable software applications. However, to get started with Rust development on Ubuntu, you need to install the Rust compiler and its dependencies.

In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of installing use Rust on Ubuntu. We will cover the necessary installation procedures, and verification steps to ensure a successful installation.

Installing Rust on Ubuntu

Step 1: Installing curl

So, the first step in installing Rust Ubuntu setup is to install the curl command. curl is a command-line tool for transferring data to and from a web server using HTTP, HTTPS, SCP, SFTP, TFTP, and more. It’s a powerful and flexible tool for downloading and uploading files, as well as for testing and debugging web servers.

sudo apt install curl

Step 2: Download and Run the Installer

To install Rust Ubuntu on your system, visit the official Rust website, where you’ll find the instructions to install Rust. On the website, you’ll see the following command:

Welcome to Rust! message indicates that the Rust installation script has started running. Whereas Rustup is the installer for Rust, and Cargo is the package manager for Rust. Rustup will download and install the official Rust compiler, and Cargo will manage dependencies for Rust projects.

The Rustup home directory is where Rustup stores its metadata and toolchains. In this case, it’s located at ~/.rustup. This directory can be modified by setting the RUSTUP_HOME environment variable.

The Cargo home directory is where Cargo stores its data. In this case, it’s located at ~/.cargo. This directory can be modified by setting the CARGO_HOME environment variable.

The Cargo bin directory is where Cargo stores its executables, such as cargo, rustc, and rustup. In this case, it’s located at ~/.cargo/bin. This path will be added to the PATH environment variable, so you can run Cargo commands from anywhere.

The script will modify the profile files located at ~/.profile and .bashrc file in Linux to add the Cargo bin directory to the PATH environment variable. This ensures that you can run Cargo commands from anywhere in your terminal.

Step 3: Choose Installation Option

This section displays the current installation options for Rust. The script then presents three installation options:

• Proceed with standard installation: This option will install Rust with the default options.
• Customize installation: This option allows you to customize the installation, such as choosing a different toolchain or profile.
• Cancel installation: This option cancels the installation process.

The >1 at the end indicates that the default option (proceed with standard installation) is selected. You can press Enter to continue with the standard installation or choose a different option by typing 2 or 3:

Next, it will start downloading the necessary files and installing them which might take some time.

The output indicates that the Rust installation was successful. The specific version of Rust installed is 1.79.0, and the toolchain is stable-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.

To complete the installation, you may need to restart your current shell or source the environment file under $HOME/.cargo. This is because the installation script added the Cargo bin directory to the PATH environment variable, but this change only takes effect after the shell is restarted or the environment file is sourced.

Step 4: Verifying Rust Installation

After installing Rust using the steps above, it’s essential to verify that your installation was successful. This simple check confirms that your system recognizes the Rust compiler and is ready for development:

rustc --version

What is the Rust Programming Language?

Rust is a modern, statically-typed programming language designed with a focus on performance, reliability, and memory safety. It achieves these goals through its unique ownership system, which acts as a built-in safeguard against common programming errors like dangling pointers, buffer overflows, and data races. This system, rigorously enforced at compile time, guarantees memory safety without sacrificing the speed and efficiency that Rust is known for. 

Advantages of Rust

• Performance: Rust is built for speed and can go head-to-head with languages like C and C++ in terms of performance. This makes it a powerful choice for building resource-intensive applications, such as game engines and operating systems.
• Reliability: Rust’s robust type system and ownership rules help catch a wide range of errors during the compilation process, preventing them from becoming runtime issues. This leads to more stable and secure software with fewer crashes and vulnerabilities. 
• Concurrency: Writing concurrent code can be error-prone, but Rust’s ownership system shines here. It provides a way to write concurrent programs that are not only safe from data races but also easier to reason about and debug.
• Modernity: Rust incorporates many modern programming language features, making it enjoyable and efficient to work with. Pattern matching allows for expressive code, closures provide functional programming capabilities, and generics enable flexible and reusable components. 

Use Cases

Rust’s unique combination of performance, reliability, and safety makes it well-suited for a diverse set of use cases:

• Systems programming: Due to its control over system resources and memory management, Rust is ideal for building the foundation of software systems. This includes operating systems, embedded systems, firmware, and device drivers.
• Web development: Rust has gained significant traction in web development, particularly with WebAssembly (Wasm), allowing for near-native performance in web applications. It’s also used for building fast and scalable backend services and APIs.
• Networking:  Reliability and performance are crucial for networking applications. Rust’s ability to create efficient and predictable code makes it a strong choice for network programming tasks, such as building network protocols, proxies, and high-performance network services. 
• Game development: The demand for high-performance graphics and complex game logic makes Rust a compelling option for game development. It’s used for building game engines, writing game logic, and creating high-fidelity graphics rendering systems.

To explore the full potential and features of Rust, visit the official Rust website.

Conclusion

Installing Rust on Ubuntu is a straightforward process that can be achieved through two methods: using the apt package manager or the rustup installer. In this article, we walked you through the step-by-step process of installing Rust using the rustup installer, which provides a more convenient and flexible way to manage Rust versions and dependencies. 

By following the four simple steps outlined above – installing curl, downloading and running the installer, choosing an installation option, and verifying the installation – you can successfully install Rust on your Ubuntu system and start building efficient and reliable software applications.

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