Ruma and the Matrix Communication Protocol: An Interview with Jimmy Cuadra

We interview Jimmy Cuadra about Matrix, an open and decentralized communication protocol, and his implementation in Rust known as Ruma.

• Twitter: @rustaceanfm
• Discord: Rustacean Station
• Github: @rustacean-station
• Email: [email protected]

Timestamps & referenced resources

• [@01:35] - Meet Jimmy Cuadra
• [@04:46] - How did you get into Rust?
  • @bascule (Tony Arcieri)
  • The Rust Programming Language Book
• [@08:47] - What is Matrix?
  • Matrix: an open network for secure, decentralized communication
  • libpurple
  • Ruma: Introduction to Matrix
• [@14:32] - Why “Matrix”?
• [@16:44] - What forms of communication does Matrix enable?
• [@17:59] - What pieces of Matrix does Ruma implement?
• [@20:27] - Why did you decide to use Rust?
• [@23:52] - How challenging has Ruma been to implement?
• [@30:27] - What libraries does Ruma leverage?
  • Serde: a framework for serializing and deserializing data structures efficiently and generically
  • Diesel: a safe, extensible ORM and query builder
• [@34:02] - If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
• [@38:57] - Does Ruma use any unstable Rust features? Has it previously?
• [@42:30] - What other implementations of Matrix exist?
• [@46:42] - How difficult to implement is the Matrix specification?
• [@52:59] - How close to maturity is Ruma?

Credits

Intro Theme: Aerocity

Audio Editing: Reece McMillin

Hosting Infrastructure: Jon Gjengset

Show Notes: Ben Striegel

Hosts: Abdou Seck, Ben Striegel