f30ce1fe97
For host VM code, we use plain reference counting, where cloning increments
the reference count, and dropping decrements it. We can avoid many of the
on-stack increment/decrement operations that typically plague the
performance of reference counting via Rust's ownership and borrowing system.
Moving a `VMExternRef` avoids mutating its reference count, and borrowing it
either avoids the reference count increment or delays it until if/when the
`VMExternRef` is cloned.
When passing a `VMExternRef` into compiled Wasm code, we don't want to do
reference count mutations for every compiled `local.{get,set}`, nor for
every function call. Therefore, we use a variation of **deferred reference
counting**, where we only mutate reference counts when storing
`VMExternRef`s somewhere that outlives the activation: into a global or
table. Simultaneously, we over-approximate the set of `VMExternRef`s that
are inside Wasm function activations. Periodically, we walk the stack at GC
safe points, and use stack map information to precisely identify the set of
`VMExternRef`s inside Wasm activations. Then we take the difference between
this precise set and our over-approximation, and decrement the reference
count for each of the `VMExternRef`s that are in our over-approximation but
not in the precise set. Finally, the over-approximation is replaced with the
precise set.
The `VMExternRefActivationsTable` implements the over-approximized set of
`VMExternRef`s referenced by Wasm activations. Calling a Wasm function and
passing it a `VMExternRef` moves the `VMExternRef` into the table, and the
compiled Wasm function logically "borrows" the `VMExternRef` from the
table. Similarly, `global.get` and `table.get` operations clone the gotten
`VMExternRef` into the `VMExternRefActivationsTable` and then "borrow" the
reference out of the table.
When a `VMExternRef` is returned to host code from a Wasm function, the host
increments the reference count (because the reference is logically
"borrowed" from the `VMExternRefActivationsTable` and the reference count
from the table will be dropped at the next GC).
For more general information on deferred reference counting, see *An
Examination of Deferred Reference Counting and Cycle Detection* by Quinane:
https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/42030/2/hon-thesis.pdf
cc #929
Fixes #1804
wasmtime
A standalone runtime for WebAssembly
A Bytecode Alliance project
Guide | Contributing | Website | Chat
Installation
The Wasmtime CLI can be installed on Linux and macOS with a small install script:
$ curl https://wasmtime.dev/install.sh -sSf | bash
Windows or otherwise interested users can download installers and binaries directly from the GitHub Releases page.
Example
If you've got the Rust compiler installed then you can take some Rust source code:
fn main() {
println!("Hello, world!");
}
and compile/run it with:
$ rustup target add wasm32-wasi
$ rustc hello.rs --target wasm32-wasi
$ wasmtime hello.wasm
Hello, world!
Features
-
Lightweight. Wasmtime is a standalone runtime for WebAssembly that scales with your needs. It fits on tiny chips as well as makes use of huge servers. Wasmtime can be embedded into almost any application too.
-
Fast. Wasmtime is built on the optimizing Cranelift code generator to quickly generate high-quality machine code at runtime.
-
Configurable. Whether you need to precompile your wasm ahead of time, generate code blazingly fast with Lightbeam, or interpret it at runtime, Wasmtime has you covered for all your wasm-executing needs.
-
WASI. Wasmtime supports a rich set of APIs for interacting with the host environment through the WASI standard.
-
Standards Compliant. Wasmtime passes the official WebAssembly test suite, implements the official C API of wasm, and implements future proposals to WebAssembly as well. Wasmtime developers are intimately engaged with the WebAssembly standards process all along the way too.
Language Support
You can use Wasmtime from a variety of different languages through embeddings of the implementation:
- Rust - the
wasmtimecrate - C - the
wasm.h,wasi.h, andwasmtime.hheaders - Python - the
wasmtimePyPI package - .NET - the
WasmtimeNuGet package - Go - the wasmtime-go repository
Documentation
📚 Read the Wasmtime guide here! 📚
The wasmtime guide is the best starting point to learn about what Wasmtime can do for you or help answer your questions about Wasmtime. If you're curious in contributing to Wasmtime, it can also help you do that!.
It's Wasmtime.