About ALGOL-FOR-LINUX
Welcome to the initiative. Our goal: ALGOL68 support in the Linux kernel.
Inspired by the success seen by the Rust for Linux project, ALGOL-FOR-LINUX strives to innovate the kernel once more. This time by going back. Back to 1968.
ALGOL68 is the 3rd major specification of ALGOL and an ambitious redesign of the language. It has been regarded as one of the most influencial programming languages of all times, notable for being especially efficient, elegant, and correct. Security follows naturally.
In 2022, the Linux kernel got support for a 2nd high-level language. But Rust insists upon itself. By 2030, Linux will finally get memory safety done right. Memory safety - the 20th century way
ALGOL-FOR-LINUX will:
- improve kernel security
- increase code readability
- something serious
- something slightly witty
If succesful, ALGOL-For-Linux will be a statement regarding the cyclical nature of technological innovation. We hope that this project will draw attention to the neglected history of computer science, and cause more interest around abandoned but promising technologies.
Why ALGOL Is Superior for Kernel Development
Memory Safety Since 1958
While Rust developers boast about their memory safety, ALGOL has been safely managing memory since before most programmers were born. Why trust a newcomer when you can use a language with over 60 years of proven safety?
Beautiful Syntax
With keywords like 'begin', 'end', and the elegant semicolon, ALGOL's syntax is so intuitive that even managers can read it. No more cryptic ownership semantics or lifetime annotations!
Time-Tested Performance
ALGOL was designed to run on computers with kilobytes of memory. Imagine how fast it will be on modern hardware! Our preliminary benchmarks show that ALGOL-FOR-LINUX is at least as fast as C* (*in certain highly specific scenarios).
Cognitive Simplicity
Unlike Rust's complex borrow checker, ALGOL's memory model is so simple that developers can focus on writing code instead of fighting the compiler. Segmentation faults become a thing of the past through sheer force of will!
Technical arguments
Opponents of ALGOL often claim the complexity of ALGOL68 delayed implementation long enough for other languages to catch up. While it was simply damn hard ~1970 to implement memory-safe languages like Algol and Pascal, and when Ritchie made large parts of the behavior "undefined" he also made the compiler very easy to implement so they moved forward quickly, the KISS principle.
With rust already being given green light by the community opens the door wide for ALGOL to step in. The cognitive load of rust is higher than for ALGOL while providing less and still not being formally defined.
ALGOL-FOR-LINUX will allow us to take advantage of modern features as those in CHERI as with strong types we will have ensured: stack overflow checking, array/pointer bounds checking, pointer protection, and tags to prevent execution of data.
What Kernel Developers Are Saying
"After spending weeks fighting with Rust's borrow checker, I discovered ALGOL-FOR-LINUX. Now I spend my time fighting with punch card readers instead. It's a refreshing change!"
"I've reduced my productivity by 95% since switching to ALGOL, but my code has never been more memory-safe. Worth it!"
"ALGOL's 'begin' and 'end' keywords bring a sense of ceremony to kernel development that's been missing since the 1960s. Each function feels like a special event."
ALGOL-FOR-LINUX Roadmap
Phase 1: Awareness (Current)
Convince the Linux community that a 60+ year old language is the future of kernel development.
Phase 2: Infrastructure
Resurrect ALGOL compilers and integrate them with modern build systems. Revive punch card manufacturing.
Phase 3: Implementation
Rewrite critical kernel components in ALGOL, starting with device drivers for IBM mainframes from the 1970s.
Phase 4: Domination
Complete transition to ALGOL-FOR-LINUX. Begin work on COBOL-FOR-USERSPACE to create the ultimate secure computing environment.
Join the Revolution
Ready to embrace the future by returning to the past? Join our growing community of ALGOL enthusiasts who believe that memory safety was perfected decades ago.
No prior ALGOL experience is necessary—just a willingness to learn a language that hasn't been actively used since the moon landing.