# The Rust rewrite of Office: what works today and how to try it

> AI Release · @ai_release1 · https://ai-release.org/guides/office-na-rust-chto-rabotaet_en.html

## TL;DR
- **Time to complete:** about 45 minutes (toolchain + build + first-launch check; the optional Android part adds ~10 minutes)
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate
- **You will need:** Windows 10/11 x64, macOS or Linux; Git; the Rust toolchain installed through `rustup`; at least 2 GB of free disk space; a virtual machine or sandbox for testing; optionally an Android device with an `arm64-v8a` CPU and `adb` for the unofficial WordCraft port
- **Key fact to keep in mind:** the ArtCraft reimplementation of Word, Excel and PowerPoint is published in open source, but it is **not ready for production use**. Treat it as a lab project, not as an Office replacement.

## Requirements and setup
![Illustration: Requirements and setup](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/office-na-rust-chto-rabotaet-en-1.jpg?v=1793782038)

- **OS:** Windows 10/11 x64, macOS or a modern Linux distribution. On Windows, if you prefer a Linux toolchain, set up WSL first — see [WSL 3.0 download and upgrade from WSL 2](https://ai-release.org/guides/wsl-3-0-x64-skachat-release-date.html?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=channel&utm_campaign=guide_inline&utm_content=guide_to_guide).
- **Git:** any current version; verify with `git --version`.
- **Rust toolchain:** installed via `rustup` (the official Rust installer and version manager).
- **Disk space:** 2 GB free — a Rust debug/release build plus the toolchain cache takes real space.
- **Isolation:** a VM or a separate user account. Justification from the source material: ArtCraft's package is open source but explicitly **not production-ready**, and AI (Claude) takes part in writing the code, so the codebase changes quickly.
- **Optional:** an Android phone on `arm64-v8a` plus `adb` (Android Debug Bridge — the command-line tool that installs APKs over USB).
- **Not published in the channel post:** exact repository URL, supported file formats, license and release versions of the ArtCraft package. Check them in the repository README before you start — do not assume.

## Step 1. Prepare an isolated machine and the Rust toolchain
![Illustration: Step 1. Prepare an isolated machine and the Rust toolchain](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/office-na-rust-chto-rabotaet-en-2.jpg?v=1793782043)

**What to do:** create a VM (or a separate user profile), install Git and Rust, and confirm all three tools answer on the command line.

**Why:** a Rust project is compiled on your machine, and this particular one is not production-ready. Isolation keeps an experimental build away from your real documents. Rust itself is the compiler and package manager pair `rustc` + `cargo`; `cargo` also downloads dependencies.

Install Rust on Linux/macOS:
```bash
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://rustup.rs | sh
source "$HOME/.cargo/env"
```
On Windows, run the `rustup-init.exe` installer from https://rustup.rs and accept the default "default host triple" option.

**How to check:**
```bash
rustup --version
rustc --version
cargo --version
```
Expected output: three version lines — a `rustup` line, a `rustc` line with the host triple (for example `x86_64-pc-windows-msvc` on Windows), and a `cargo` line. If the shell answers `cargo: command not found`, the PATH was not updated — run `source "$HOME/.cargo/env"` (Linux/macOS) or reopen PowerShell.

**Example:** on a clean Windows 11 VM, `cargo --version` after installation prints a version line and a build hash, and `rustup show` lists the active toolchain. That single output proves the compiler will work before you spend time cloning anything.

If you also want AI assistance while reading this unfamiliar code, see [Windows with AI: Copilot and neural networks in the system](https://ai-release.org/guides/windows-i-ii.html?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=channel&utm_campaign=guide_inline&utm_content=guide_to_guide) for the built-in Windows tooling.

## Step 2. Fetch the ArtCraft Office sources and build a release binary
**What to do:** clone the repository, pin it to a specific commit, read the README, then build.

**Why:** the project is under active AI-assisted development, so `main` moves. Pinning a commit gives you a reproducible build and a known state when something breaks.

```bash
git clone <artcraft-repo-url> artcraft-office
cd artcraft-office
git log -1 --oneline
cargo build --release
```

Replace `<artcraft-repo-url>` with the repository address published by ArtCraft — the channel post does not print it, so take it from the project's own page. If the workspace contains several crates (a multi-package Rust project), start the specific one:

```bash
cargo run --release -p <crate-name>
```

**How to check:** `cargo build --release` must end with a line like `Finished release [optimized] target(s)`. Then:
```bash
ls target/release
```
You should see an executable file next to the `build/` and `deps/` directories. On Windows the file ends in `.exe`.

**Example:** a successful run looks like `Compiling ...`, `Finished release [optimized] target(s) in <N>s`, followed by `target/release/artcraft` in the directory listing. If the build stops with `error[E0433]: failed to resolve`, a dependency is missing from your toolchain — update Rust with `rustup update` and repeat.

**Why this works:** `cargo` reads `Cargo.toml`, downloads every dependency, compiles the whole tree once, and caches the result in `target/` — later builds reuse the cache and finish much faster.

## Step 3. Verify what actually works, then try the Android port
![Illustration: Step 3. Verify what actually works, then try the Android port](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/office-na-rust-chto-rabotaet-en-3.jpg?v=1793782046)

**What to do:** launch the build, exercise all three clones (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), save and reopen a file, and — optionally — install the unofficial WordCraft Android APK on an `arm64-v8a` device.

**Why:** the channel post states that Word, Excel and PowerPoint clones appeared in ArtCraft's open lineup, but it does **not** list which file formats or features are implemented. Only a hands-on pass tells you what your build can do.

```bash
cargo run --release
```
Then create a short document with text, a spreadsheet with a formula, and one slide; save each file and reopen it.

Optional Android track (separate project, `kanaaka/wordcraft-android`, an unofficial port of WordCraft — not an official release):
```bash
adb devices
adb shell getprop ro.product.cpu.abi
adb install -r wordcraft.apk
```
`ro.product.cpu.abi` must answer `arm64-v8a`; the install must answer `Success`.

**How to check:** the application window opens, all three editors start, and the files you saved reopen with your content intact. Checklist for the whole guide:

- [ ] `cargo --version` answers
- [ ] Repository cloned and `git log -1 --oneline` recorded
- [ ] `cargo build --release` finished without errors
- [ ] Binary present in `target/release`
- [ ] Word, Excel and PowerPoint clones all launch
- [ ] A file was saved and reopened
- [ ] Optional: `adb install -r wordcraft.apk` returned `Success`

**Example:** if the spreadsheet clone opens but saving produces an empty file, write down the exact format you chose and the exact error — that is a feature gap, not a setup failure, and it belongs in the project's issue tracker.

| Project | What it is | Stack (per channel post) | Ready to use? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArtCraft Office reimplementation | Word, Excel, PowerPoint clones | Rust; Claude takes part in the code | Open source, **not production-ready** |
| WordCraft Android port | Unofficial APK for `arm64-v8a` | shell-crate + patch to the upstream project + build scripts | Third-party build, not an official release |
| Glafira for Apache Kafka | Desktop Kafka message viewer | Tauri 2, Rust, librdkafka | Apache 2.0, builds for macOS, Windows, Linux |

The third row is there on purpose: it shows a Rust desktop application that already ships for all three desktop platforms — a useful maturity reference when you judge the Office clones.

## Troubleshooting

**Problem. The Rust build stops at the linker stage on Linux**
- Error: `error: linker 'cc' not found`
- Cause: Rust compiles to native code and needs a C linker, which a minimal Linux image does not include.
- Solution: install the build tools and rebuild:
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y build-essential
cargo build --release
```

**Problem. Windows shows a blue warning screen when you start a downloaded build**
- Error: `Windows protected your PC` (SmartScreen)
- Cause: community builds are frequently shipped unsigned. The channel already documented this pattern: the Cleanly disk cleaner ships Windows builds unsigned, and SmartScreen is triggered on launch.
- Solution: prefer building from source with `cargo build --release` as in Step 2 — a locally compiled binary is not blocked. If you must run a downloaded binary in your lab VM, click *More info → Run anyway* only after you have verified the source repository.

**Problem. The APK refuses to install on the phone or emulator**
- Error: `adb: failed to install wordcraft.apk: INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MATCHING_ABIS`
- Cause: the WordCraft port is published only for `arm64-v8a`, and your device or emulator reports another ABI (for example `x86_64`).
- Solution: check the ABI first and switch to an `arm64-v8a` device or emulator image:
```bash
adb shell getprop ro.product.cpu.abi
```
If the answer is not `arm64-v8a`, this APK is not for that device.

If a Windows tool fails with a missing system file after experiments, run the standard repair described in [sfc /scannow: how to run it and fix 'could not repair' errors](https://ai-release.org/guides/sfc-scannow-kak-zapustit.html?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=channel&utm_campaign=guide_inline&utm_content=guide_to_guide).

## Summary and next steps
You now have ArtCraft's open-source Rust reimplementation of Word, Excel and PowerPoint building and running in an isolated machine, plus a verified path to the unofficial WordCraft APK on `arm64-v8a`. Next, pin a commit you have tested, log which formats save and reopen correctly, and report the gaps upstream instead of putting real documents into a package that is not production-ready.

## FAQ

**Is ArtCraft's Rust Office a replacement for Microsoft Office?**
No. The channel post states plainly that the package is available in open source but is not ready for production use, so it is a lab and evaluation project.

**Does it cost anything?**
The package is distributed in open source; no price or subscription is mentioned in the source post. Check the repository license before any commercial use.

**Does AI write the code?**
Yes — Claude takes part in the code work on the project, as reported. That is one more reason to pin a commit and test before relying on a build.

**Can I run it on Android?**
Not through ArtCraft. The Android option in this guide is `kanaaka/wordcraft-android`, a separate unofficial WordCraft port shipped as an APK for `arm64-v8a` only — it is a third-party build, not an official release.