How to use the command "rustup set" (with examples)
“rustup set” is a command that allows users to alter the settings of the rustup toolchain installer. It provides various options to customize the default behavior of rustup. This article will illustrate three different use cases of the “rustup set” command.
Use case 1: Set the default host triple
Code:
rustup set default-host <host_triple>
Motivation: The default host triple refers to the target platform specifications for the Rust compiler. Setting the default host triple allows users to specify the target operating system and architecture for which the Rust programming language will be compiled.
Explanation: The <host_triple> argument represents the target platform specifications in the form of a host triple. The host triple consists of three parts: the CPU architecture, the vendor, and the operating system. Examples of host triples include x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu for 64-bit Linux and aarch64-apple-darwin for Apple Silicon on macOS.
Example output:
If you run the following command to set the default host triple to x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu:
rustup set default-host x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
The output will be:
info: using existing host triple for 'stable' toolchain: "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"
info: default host triple set to 'x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu'
Use case 2: Set the default profile
Code:
rustup set profile minimal|default
Motivation: The default profile determines which components are installed with rustup. By customizing the profile, users can choose which components to include or exclude in their Rust toolchain.
Explanation: The minimal profile includes only the essential components required for building Rust projects, such as the Rust compiler (rustc), standard library (rust-std), and package manager (cargo). On the other hand, the default profile adds extra components like documentation generator (rust-docs), formatter (rustfmt), and linter (clippy).
Example output:
If you run the following command to set the default profile to default:
rustup set profile default
The output will be:
info: default profile set to 'default'
Use case 3: Set auto-self-update behavior
Code:
rustup set auto-self-update enable|disable|check-only
Motivation: By default, rustup automatically checks for updates and installs them when running the rustup update command. However, users may prefer to control the update process manually or disable it entirely. This use case allows users to set the behavior of rustup’s automatic self-updating feature.
Explanation: The auto-self-update option specifies the desired behavior of rustup’s self-updating feature. It accepts three possible values: enable enables automatic self-updates when running rustup update, disable disables automatic self-updates entirely, and check-only only checks for updates without installing them.
Example output:
If you run the following command to disable automatic self-updates:
rustup set auto-self-update disable
The output will be:
info: auto-self-update set to 'disable'
Conclusion:
The “rustup set” command provides users with the ability to customize rustup’s settings according to their preferences. Whether it is setting the default host triple, choosing the default profile, or controlling the auto-self-update behavior, “rustup set” empowers users to tailor their Rust toolchain to their specific needs. By understanding these use cases, users can harness the full potential of rustup and optimize their Rust development workflows.
