Add blog post for 0.10 release

blog/2024-12-29-rust-gpu-0.10.md

@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+---
+title: "Announcing Rust GPU 0.10"
+slug: rust-gpu-0.10
+tags: ["announcement", "release"]
+draft: true
+---
+
+# Announcing Rust GPU 0.10
+
+The Rust GPU maintainers are happy to announce a new version of [Rust
+GPU](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu), 0.10. Rust GPU makes it possible to write
+and run GPU software in Rust.
+
+This release is our first as a [community-owned project](/blog/transition-announcement).
+One of our goals is to move releases to a more frequent and rapid pace—the last release
+was on July 25, 2023!
+
+We're eager to add more users and contributors. To follow along or get involved, check out the [`rust-gpu` repo on GitHub](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu).
+
+<!-- truncate -->
+
+## What's new in 0.10
+
+### Updated Rust requirement to a modern version
+
+Rust GPU includes a compiler backend that compiles regular Rust code into
+[SPIR-V](https://www.khronos.org/spir/), a low-level format that [most GPUs
+understand](https://vulkan.gpuinfo.org/). Because of this deep integration with compiler
+internals, Rust GPU must use a very specific version of the Rust compiler. Rust GPU now
+supports `nightly-2024-11-22` (up from the ancient `nightly-2023-05-27`). This roughly
+corresponds to [Rust 1.83](https://blog.rust-lang.org/2024/11/28/Rust-1.83.0.html).
+
+:::tip
+
+Most real-world projects like [`krnl`](https://github.com/charles-r-earp/krnl) and
+[`renderling`](https://github.com/schell/renderling) compile their GPU code with Rust
+GPU's specific version of nightly while using stable Rust for the rest of their code. We
+are in the process of making this workflow much easier.
+
+:::
+
+Updating to a newer nightly version required heroic effort from
+[@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb), as significant breaking changes to Rust's [internal
+allocation model](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/122053) and
+[`#[repr(simd)]`](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/129403) were introduced in
+`rustc`. [@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb) was able to [vendor in parts of `rustc` and
+patch out others](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/170), unblocking the update
+and buying us time to [figure out the best way
+forward](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/issues/182).
+
+Rust GPU is an "out-of-tree" compiler backend. This enables fast iteration while we
+explore the problem space, but also makes us more susceptible to this sort of breakage.
+One of our long-term goals is to be a supported `rustc` backend.
+
+### Mesh shader support
+
+Rust GPU maintainer [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99) and contributor
+[@BeastLe9enD](https://github.com/BeastLe9enD) added support for [mesh
+shaders](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/44).
+
+[Mesh shaders](https://www.khronos.org/blog/mesh-shading-for-vulkan) are a modern GPU
+feature that replace traditional vertex and geometry shaders. They give GPU developers
+more control over the entire pipeline by letting them directly process batches of
+vertices and primitives in compute-like shaders. This allows for more efficient culling,
+level-of-detail calculations, and custom pipeline logic—all on the GPU.
+
+An example of a Rust GPU mesh shader that outputs a triangle:
+
+```rust
+use spirv_std::arch::set_mesh_outputs_ext;
+use spirv_std::glam::{UVec3, Vec4};
+use spirv_std::spirv;
+
+#[spirv(mesh_ext(
+    threads(1),
+    output_vertices = 3,
+    output_primitives_ext = 1,
+    output_triangles_ext
+))]
+pub fn main(
+    #[spirv(position)] positions: &mut [Vec4; 3],
+    #[spirv(primitive_triangle_indices_ext)] indices: &mut [UVec3; 1],
+) {
+    unsafe {
+        set_mesh_outputs_ext(3, 1);
+    }
+
+    positions[0] = Vec4::new(-0.5, 0.5, 0.0, 1.0);
+    positions[1] = Vec4::new(0.5, 0.5, 0.0, 1.0);
+    positions[2] = Vec4::new(0.0, -0.5, 0.0, 1.0);
+
+    indices[0] = UVec3::new(0, 1, 2);
+}
+```
+
+An example of a Rust GPU task shader launching mesh shaders with a dispatch size of `[1,
+2, 3]`:
+
+```rust
+use spirv_std::arch::emit_mesh_tasks_ext;
+use spirv_std::spirv;
+
+#[spirv(task_ext(threads(1)))]
+pub fn main() {
+    unsafe {
+        emit_mesh_tasks_ext(1, 2, 3);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Subgroup support
+
+[@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99) also added support for subgroups via
+[subgroup intrinsics](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/14).
+
+[Subgroups](https://www.khronos.org/blog/vulkan-subgroup-tutorial) allow a group of
+threads of [vendor-defined
+size](https://vulkan.gpuinfo.org/displaycoreproperty.php?name=subgroupSize&core=1.1) to
+share data and perform synchronized operations more efficiently. For example, using
+subgroup intrinsics you can:
+
+- Perform reductions (e.g., sum, min, max) across threads in a subgroup.
+- Share intermediate results without relying on global memory, reducing latency.
+- Implement algorithms like prefix sums or parallel sorting more effectively.
+
+### Added `TypedBuffer`
+
+[@eddyb](https://github.com/eddyb) and [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99)
+[introduced `TypedBuffer`](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/16), an explicit
+way to declare inputs and outputs as buffers. This enables declaring an "array of buffer
+descriptors containing something" as is common in
+[bindless](https://computergraphics.stackexchange.com/questions/10794/binding-vs-bindless).
+
+Here is an example of using
+[`TypedBuffer`](https://rust-gpu.github.io/rust-gpu/api/spirv_std/struct.TypedBuffer.html)
+in a fragment shader:
+
+```rust
+use glam::Vec4;
+use spirv_std::TypedBuffer;
+use spirv_std::spirv;
+
+#[spirv(fragment)]
+pub fn main(
+    #[spirv(storage_buffer, descriptor_set = 0, binding = 0)] single: &TypedBuffer<Vec4>,
+    #[spirv(storage_buffer, descriptor_set = 0, binding = 1)] single_mut: &mut TypedBuffer<Vec4>,
+) {
+    **single_mut = **single;
+}
+```
+
+### Read-only buffer support for `ByteAddressableBuffer`
+
+Thanks to [@Firestar99](https://github.com/firestar99),
+[`ByteAddressableBuffer`](https://rust-gpu.github.io/rust-gpu/api/spirv_std/byte_addressable_buffer/struct.ByteAddressableBuffer.html)
+now supports [reading from read-only
+buffers](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu/pull/17). Previously the buffers needed to
+be read-write. Using read-only buffers can improve performance for immutable data.
+
+### Dependency updates
+
+We updated key GPU dependencies like [`glam`](https://github.com/bitshifter/glam-rs).
+One of the unique benefits of Rust on the GPU is that we use the exact `glam` crate from
+[crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/glam), so this was a simple `Cargo.toml` update.
+
+Additionally, examples now use the latest versions of CPU-side crates such as
+[`ash`](https://github.com/ash-rs/ash) and [`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu).
+
+## Other related changes
+
+### SPIR-V atomics in `wgpu`
+
+Rust GPU maintainer [@schell](https://github.com/schell) added [SPIR-V atomic support to
+`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu/issues/4489). This was part of his work on
+[`renderling`](https://github.com/schell/renderling), a project built with Rust GPU. The
+change enables Rust GPU programs to use atomics and integrate with CPU-side code managed
+by [`wgpu`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu). Funding came from a grant by
+[NLnet](https://nlnet.nl/).
+
+### Rustlantis integration
+
+[@FractalFir](https://github.com/FractalFir) created
+[`rustc_codegen_clr`](https://github.com/FractalFir/rustc_codegen_clr), an experimental
+Rust compiler backend that converts Rust into .NET assemblies or C source files. He
+adapted [Rustlantis](https://github.com/cbeuw/rustlantis), a MIR fuzzer for generating
+complex test programs, to support his project.
+
+When Rust GPU maintainers asked if the changes could help Rust GPU,
+[`@FractalFir`](https://github.com/FractalFir) took the extra step of updating his
+Rustlantis fork to support it as well. This collaboration has already uncovered three
+issues in Rust GPU. We plan to continue investing in Rustlantis support to improve
+automated testing and actively hunt for bugs.
+
+### Updated Shadertoy shaders
+
+Rust GPU maintainer [@LegNeato](https://github.com/LegNeato) updated [previously ported
+Shadertoy shaders](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu-shadertoys) to work with the
+latest release. In doing so, he fixed several issues in [`wgpu` and
+`naga`](https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu).
+
+He wrote a [blog post about his experience](./2025-04-10-shadertoys) that was popular on
+[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/1jw15ss/shadertoys_ported_to_rust_gpu/)
+and [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43667693).
+
+### New website
+
+[@LegNeato](https://github.com/LegNeato) also created a [new website for the
+project](https://rust-gpu.github.io/) using [Docusaurus](https://docusaurus.io/). He
+created custom Docusaurus
+[plugins](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu.github.io/tree/main/src/plugins) and
+[components](https://github.com/Rust-GPU/rust-gpu.github.io/tree/main/src/components/Snippet)
+to better support the project's needs. Finally, he wrote a blog post about [optimizing a
+Rust GPU matmul kernel](/blog/optimizing-matmul) that was popular on
+[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/1gzmchn/optimizing_a_rust_gpu_matmul_kernel/)
+and [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42280697).
+
+## Community
+
+Thank you to the 16 community contributors, most of whom contributed for the first time:
+
+[`@BeastLe9enD`](https://github.com/BeastLe9enD), [beef
+(`@fee1-dead`)](https://github.com/fee1-dead), [Brice Videau
+(`@Kerilk`)](https://github.com/Kerilk) [Bruce Mitchener
+(`@waywardmonkeys`)](https://github.com/waywardmonkeys),
+[`@FractalFir`](https://github.com/FractalFir),
+[`@doomdagadiggiedahdah`](https://github.com/doomdagadiggiedahdah), [Fredrik Fornwall
+(`@fornwall`)](https://github.com/fornwall), [Gray Olson
+(`@fu5ha`)](https://github.com/fu5ha), [Jake Shadle
+(`@Jake-Shadle`)](https://github.com/Jake-Shadle), [Jörg Wollenschläger
+(`@jwollen`)](https://github.com/jwollen), [Julian Knodt
+(`@JulianKnodt`)](https://github.com/JulianKnodt), [Léo Gaspard
+(`@Ekleog`)](https://github.com/Ekleog), [Rowan Jones
+(`@ArrEssJay`)](https://github.com/ArrEssJay), [Marek Bernat
+(`@mbernat`)](https://github.com/mbernat), [Viktor Zoutman
+(`@VZout`)](https://github.com/VZout), [`@Zanciks`](https://github.com/zanciks)
+
+We're especially grateful that [`@Zanciks`](https://github.com/Zanciks) chose Rust GPU
+for their first ever open source contribution!
+
+## Maintainers
+
+As [previously announced](/blog/transition-announcement), Rust GPU has four active
+maintainers who contributed to this release (in alphabetical order):
+
+1. [Christian Legnitto (`@LegNeato`)](https://github.com/LegNeato)
+2. [Eduard-Mihai Burtescu (`@eddyb`)](https://github.com/eddyb)
+3. [`@Firestar99`](https://github.com/firestar99)
+4. [Schell Carl Scivally (`@schell`)](https://github.com/schell)
+
+<br/>
+
+We're always looking for active contributors to become new maintainers. [Join us](https://github.com/rust-gpu/rust-gpu) and make an impact!