How to Install Rust on Linux Mint 21 or 20

Rust is a popular, efficient systems programming language known for its performance, security, and ability to handle complex tasks. It’s statically typed, focusing on performance and safety, eliminating common programming errors like null pointers and buffer overflows. This makes Rust ideal for developing secure and efficient systems software such as operating systems, web browsers, and game engines.

Some of the features of Rust programming language can be summarised:

• Statically typed language
• Prioritizes performance and safety
• Rust avoids common programming errors like null pointers and buffer overflows
• Strict type system and memory safety guarantees
• Ideal for developing secure and efficient systems software
• Can be used for building operating systems, web browsers, and game engines
• Gaining popularity among developers and the programming community
• Modern and highly efficient
• Supports concurrent programming with built-in concurrency primitives and abstractions
• Interoperable with other languages including C and C++
• Growing and supportive community with an active development ecosystem

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive guide to installing Rust on Linux Mint 21 or 20. Whether you’re a seasoned programmer or just starting, this article will help you get up and running with Rust on Linux Mint in no time using the command line terminal.

Step 1: Update Linux Mint

Before installing Rust on Linux Mint, updating your system is crucial. This can be accomplished by opening your command terminal and running the following command, which will check for updates and upgrade any necessary packages.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Dependecies

Before continuing, it’s important to install the necessary packages for installing and running Rust on your system. To do so, run the following command to install the well-known and commonly used packages required for this installation.

sudo apt install curl build-essential gcc make -y

Step 3: Install Rust

Once these prerequisites have been taken care of, you can download the Rust installation script by executing the curl command.

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

After executing the previous command, you will be presented with an output similar to the example below. This output includes a prompt asking if you would like to proceed with the default installation or customize it. To proceed with the default installation, type “1” and press Enter.

If you would like to make any customizations, you may do so by choosing a different option. Remember that customizing the installation may require additional steps and may not be necessary for most users.

Example:

Installing Rust programming language on your Linux Mint system is a quick process, typically taking anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on your server’s internet speed and hardware configuration.

After the installation is complete, activating the Rust environment for your current shell is necessary. This can be done by executing the command provided in the terminal output at the end of the installation process.

source "$HOME/.cargo/env"

It is important to note that activation of the Rust environment is a crucial step, as it allows you to use Rust for your current shell session and any future sessions.

To confirm that Rust has been successfully installed on your Linux Mint system, verifying the version build is important. This can be done by executing a simple command that displays the Rust version installed on your system.

rustc -V

Example output:

rustc 1.67.0 (fc594f156 2023-01-24)

It’s important to note that if you cannot print the version build of Rust after verifying it, it may indicate that the Rust environment has not been activated for your current shell. If you encounter issues with printing the version build of Rust, it may be necessary to revisit the activation steps to ensure that the environment has been set up correctly.

Step 4: Create Rust Sample Project Application

After successfully installing Rust on your Linux Mint system, verifying that it is functioning as expected is important. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a simple test application, and this will allow you to quickly and easily confirm that Rust is installed and configured correctly and that you can use it for your development projects.

Before you can start creating your test application in Rust, creating a directory that will serve as your workspace is important. This directory will be where you will create and store your Rust projects and code. Creating a dedicated workspace is the best practice for organizing your development projects and ensuring everything is in its place.

mkdir ~/rust-projects

Once you have created your workspace directory, the next step is to change the directory to the workspace and create a sample application.

cd rust-projects && nano helloworld.rs

Next, you can test your Rust installation by entering the code to create a “Hello World” program.

fn main() {
    println!("Hello World, this is a test provided by LinuxCapable.com");
}

Example:

After entering the code, you can save and close the program using the “CTRL+O” and “CTRL+X” keys. Then, you can compile the program by executing the following command.

rustc helloworld.rs

Once the compilation process is complete, a new executable application will be created in your current directory. You can verify the program’s output and confirm that the “Hello World” application has been created successfully.

ls

Example output:

To launch the “Hello World” application, you created with Rust, execute the program using the specified command.

./helloworld

Example output from the test application as below:

Additional Commands & Tips

Update Rust

Rust features a built-in updater, making it straightforward to keep the programming language up-to-date. To update Rust on your Linux Mint system, execute a single command in your terminal,

rustup update

Example output:

Remove (Uninstall) Rust

If you no longer need Rust on your Linux Mint system, you can easily remove it using its built-in uninstall script. Run the specified command to uninstall the Rust Programming Language thoroughly.

rustup self uninstall

After executing the specified command, you should see a confirmation that Rust has been successfully uninstalled from your Linux Mint system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, installing Rust on Linux Mint is a straightforward process that offers many benefits to developers. As a modern and prevalent programming language, Rust is widely recognized for its performance, security, and reliability, making it an excellent choice for building robust and scalable applications. Following the steps outlined in this article, users can easily install Rust on their Linux Mint system and start taking advantage of its many features.

Frequently Asked Questions