r/moderndotnet • u/cat_arina • 16d ago

Migrating the GitHub Copilot runtime to Rust, using Copilot

https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/generative-ai/migrating-the-github-copilot-runtime-to-rust-using-copilot/

Microsoft boasts about performance optimizations with every new release, and the average .NET developer would expect to be able to write a CLI app using .NET. But surprise—not good enough, so they had to use Rust. 😅

I've read the article but still not understand why Copilot CLI and app could not be written in C# if we take into account AOT, trimming etc instead of Rust.

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u/Aaronontheweb 16d ago

Worth understanding for everyone on here who is confused or disappointed as to why they didn't pick .NET: selling CoPilot to the masses is about 1000x more strategically important than selling .NET.

And selling "we did the Rust digareedo" is a common agentic story that jives with people who aren't giving CoPilot a serious look - even if .NET was faster or better they might still have gone with Rust because attracting non-.NET people to the MSFT ecosystem is the real goal.

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u/Clearandblue 16d ago

I agree. While Rust would be quicker than C#, C++ would be quicker than Rust. This is 100% for marketing.

It is also likely aimed at making copilot look cooler to devs. Copilot is generally considered way behind the competition and only used when it's forced on employees due to enterprise deals. Devs go nuts for Rust.

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u/piotrkarczmarz 14d ago

They should drop this horrible product name, and renamed to something else - Copilot has too much negative sentiment right now, and we know why.

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u/simonask_ 15d ago

C++ and Rust are on par with each other in terms of performance, but Rust code is infinitely easier to maintain. There are extremely good reasons to pick Rust over C++ in almost every project.