Will adoption of Rust for mission critical systems popularise GTK-RS and Linux overall?

 For so many years we have been fed with the infamous FUD that Linux is not good for desktops. However, as more and more organizations adopt Rust for mission-critical systems, I think GTK-RS (for developing cross-platform GUI using Rust) and Linux desktops will see a surge in numbers. At least my gut feeling is saying this.

The inherent memory safety system of Rust and the security system of Linux will make a perfect choice for mission-critical and embedded domains. 

Rust’s adoption in mission-critical systems, many of which might run on Linux, could lead to a resurgence of interest in Linux as a development platform. Developers working on Rust projects might choose Linux for its compatibility, performance, and open-source nature. This could also lead to greater investment in Linux desktop environments, where GTK-RS could play a role.

I am sure in the near future, use of GTK-RS for SCADA system's HMI development is unavoidable. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are crucial in industries like manufacturing, utilities, and energy management. They monitor and control industrial processes through a combination of hardware and software. SCADA systems require robust, reliable, and high-performance software for their Human-Machine Interface (HMI), and GTK-RS offers several advantages for these applications - the first and foremost among them is safety and security - making the HMI foolproof from being hacked.

Not only from security perspective, but there is a strong reasoning of using GTK-RS in SCADA system for performance. SCADA systems need to process multiple data streams concurrently. Rust’s strengths in concurrency and parallelism ensure that GTK-RS-based applications can handle these demands efficiently, providing a responsive interface even under heavy load.

Keeping this in mind, I was just playing around with GTK-RS, and here's a simple GTK-RS-based application called Skip Counter.

You need GTK 3 to run this...

Here is the source code...

extern crate gtk;
use gtk::prelude::*;
use gtk::{Application, ApplicationWindow, Button, Entry, Label, Box};
use std::rc::Rc;
use std::cell::RefCell;

fn main() {
    let application = Application::builder()
        .application_id("com.example.skip-counter")
        .build();

    application.connect_activate(|app| {
        // Create a new window
        let window = ApplicationWindow::new(app);
        window.set_title("Skip Counter");
        window.set_default_size(300, 150);

        // Create a vertical box to hold the label, entry, and button
        let vbox = Box::new(gtk::Orientation::Vertical, 5);
        window.set_child(Some(&vbox));

        // Create a label to display the counter
        let label = Label::new(Some("Counter: 0"));
        vbox.pack_start(&label, false, false, 0); // Use pack_start in GTK3

        // Create an entry for the skip value
        let entry = Entry::new();
        entry.set_placeholder_text(Some("Enter skip value"));
        vbox.pack_start(&entry, false, false, 0); // Use pack_start in GTK3

        // Initial counter value
        let counter = Rc::new(RefCell::new(0));

        // Create a button to increment the counter
        let increment_button = Button::with_label("Increment");
        vbox.pack_start(&increment_button, false, false, 0); // Use pack_start in GTK3

        // Create a button to increment the counter
        let reset_button = Button::with_label("Reset");
        vbox.pack_start(&reset_button, false, false, 0); // Use pack_start in GTK3


        // Connect button click event
        let counter_clone = Rc::clone(&counter);
        let label_clone = label.clone();
        let entry_clone = entry.clone();
        increment_button.connect_clicked(move |_| {
            let skip_value = entry_clone.text().parse::<i32>().unwrap_or(1);
            *counter_clone.borrow_mut() += skip_value;
            label_clone.set_text(&format!("Counter: {}", *counter_clone.borrow()));
        });

        // Connect the reset button click event
        let counter_clone = Rc::clone(&counter);
        let label_clone = label.clone();
        reset_button.connect_clicked(move |_| {
            *counter_clone.borrow_mut() = 0;
            label_clone.set_text("Counter: 0");
        });
        // Show the window
        window.show_all();
    });

    application.run();
}