● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Zig v0.17.0 Released with Build System Rework and ELF Linker Enhancements
Key points
- Build System reworked, introducing Build Server Protocol.
- ELF Linker enhanced for improved incremental compilation on x86_64-linux.
- Added native CI testing for aarch64-openbsd.
- Expanded target support for architectures like loongarch32-linux and sparc64-linux.
Significant Development Cycle
Zig v0.17.0 represents five months of development, incorporating changes from 206 contributors across 925 commits. This release cycle, initially projected to be shorter, delivered substantial updates to the language and toolchain.
Build System and Linker Improvements
A major focus of this release is the reworked Build System, which now includes the Build Server Protocol. The ELF Linker has also been enhanced, with the expectation that incremental compilation will now function for all users on x86_64-linux systems. These changes aim to improve the efficiency and reliability of the build process.
Expanded Architecture Support
The new version significantly expands Zig's support for various architectures and operating systems. Native CI testing for aarch64-openbsd has been implemented, and CI jobs for aarch64-freebsd and aarch64-netbsd now run on pull requests. New targets such as loongarch32-linux-gnu[sf] and sparc64-linux have been added, with the improved ELF linker contributing to better sparc64-linux support than LLD. Additional support for aarch64-switch, arm-gba, mipsel-psx, powerpc-wiiu, and xtensa-linux is also included, though some require the C or experimental LLVM backends.
Language and Library Changes
Several language features and standard library components have been updated or removed. Notable changes include the removal of `errdefer` and `i0` syntax, and the deprecation of managed `bit_set` variants. Functions like `fmt.allocPrint` have moved to `mem.Allocator`, and `std.zon.parse` has been reworked. `debug.SafetyLock` now supports shared locking.
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Reporting from
Zig v0.17.0 has been released, featuring a reworked build system that includes the Build Server Protocol and an enhanced ELF linker. These updates aim to improve incremental compilation for x86_64-linux and expand support for various architectures and operating systems.