Zig v0.17.0
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Zig 0.17.0 ships major build system rework and new ELF linker after 5 months of work.
The release features 925 commits from 206 contributors. Key changes include a reworked Build System with a new Build Server Protocol, an enhanced ELF linker enabling incremental compilation on x86_64-linux, and LLVM 22 support. Language changes remove `void{}` syntax and `errdefer` capture, add `@backingInt` and `@divCeil`, and formally specify the grammar. The standard library introduces a SafeAllocator and reworks ZON parsing. Target support expands to loongarch32, SPARC64, and several game consoles. Loop vectorization is disabled due to an LLVM regression, to be re-enabled in 0.18.0.
What commenters are saying
Commenters split on the project's pace: some criticize 5 months as too slow given AI tools, while others defend deliberate design. Several highlight disabled loop vectorization causing performance regressions. A notable subthread discusses the Zig project's policy against AI involvement; some users report bugs being ignored when they mention LLM use. Andrew Kelley appears to be warming to using LLMs for bug discovery, as shown in a recent talk, though the policy remains strict. Ghostty and TigerBeetle are cited as successful Zig projects.