nucleic-brush/docs/reference/msrv-policy.md

Minimum Supported Rust Version (MSRV) Policy

Overview

The brush project maintains a conservative MSRV policy to balance two key concerns:

1. Binary distribution: Users building brush from source should not need a bleeding-edge compiler
2. Library usage: Downstream projects depending on brush crates should not face aggressive MSRV increases

Policy

When We Update MSRV

We do not update MSRV proactively. Updates only occur when:

• A meaningful set of language features or capabilities becomes available that provides clear value to the project
• The return-on-investment justifies the potential impact on users and downstream dependencies

MSRV Age Requirements

When we do update MSRV, we move to a Rust version that is at least 4-6 months old from the time of the update. This ensures:

• Sufficient time for the Rust version to stabilize
• Wide availability in package managers and development environments
• Reduced friction for users building from source

Communication

MSRV changes are always:

• Explicitly documented in release notes
• Considered a notable change requiring user awareness
• Announced with clear justification for the update

Rationale

This conservative approach recognizes that brush serves dual purposes: as a standalone binary tool and as a library for integration into other projects. Both use cases benefit from stability and predictability in compiler requirements.