How to use the command `cargo vendor` (with examples)

The cargo vendor command is used to vendor all the dependencies of a Rust project into a specified directory. This command helps to create a self-contained project that includes all the necessary dependencies, allowing the project to be built and run offline. The vendored dependencies are placed in the directory specified or the default vendor directory.

Use case 1: Vendor dependencies and configure cargo to use the vendored sources in the current project

Code:

cargo vendor path/to/directory > .cargo/config.toml

Motivation: By vendoring the dependencies and configuring cargo to use the vendored sources, we ensure that the project can be built and compiled even without an internet connection. This is especially useful in scenarios where the project needs to be distributed or deployed in environments that have limited or no internet access.

Explanation:

• cargo vendor: This is the command used to vendor the project’s dependencies into a specified directory.
• path/to/directory: This is the path where the vendored dependencies will be placed. It can be an absolute or relative path.
• >: This is a shell redirection operator used to save the command’s output to a file.
• .cargo/config.toml: This is the file where cargo configuration is stored. By redirecting the command’s output to this file, we configure cargo to use the vendored sources.

Example output:

Finished v1.0.0 [optimized] target(s) in 0.01s
Storing dependency information to vendor directory path/to/directory

Conclusion:

The cargo vendor command is a powerful tool for managing project dependencies in Rust. By vendoring the dependencies, we can create self-contained projects that can be built and run offline. This is particularly useful in scenarios where network connectivity is limited or unreliable.