Built something? We create video reels & spotlights for GitHub projects.Promote your project →
rust-lang
Home / Rust / mdBook

rust-lang/mdBook

Create book from markdown files. Like Gitbook but implemented in Rust

Rust ◇ developer-tools MPL-2.0
★22.2KSTARS
⑂1.9KFORKS
!661ISSUES
🏆#479GLOBAL RANK
🔥2DAYS TRENDING
🚀
Maintainer Growth Kit for mdBook

Claim this project, add your verified backlink badge to your README, and download milestone cards.

Claim Repo

Star History

Continuous Observations
Interactive star growth chart for rust-lang/mdBook
CSV
⭐ VIRAL README KIT

Add Live Star History & Verified Badges to README.md

Keep your repository README looking professional and dynamic. As our continuous crawler records new stars, these official SVG badges update in real time with zero maintenance.

Open README on GitHub ↗
Option 1: Interactive Star History Chart Dynamic SVG

Renders your high-resolution star trajectory chart right inside your GitHub README or project docs.

rust-lang/mdBook Star History Preview
markdown
[![Star History Chart](https://githubrepo.cloud/api/badge/chart/rust-lang/mdBook.svg?theme=dark)](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/rust-lang/mdBook?utm_source=readme_chart)
Direct SVG Link ↗
Option 2: Verified Shields Badges Shields.io Style

Compact Shields-style badges for your README header. Shows real-time stars and global ranking.

Featured badge Stars badge Rank badge
markdown (badge trio)
[![Featured on GitHubRepo.cloud](https://githubrepo.cloud/badge/rust-lang/mdBook.svg?metric=featured)](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/rust-lang/mdBook?utm_source=readme_badge) [![GitHubRepo Stars](https://githubrepo.cloud/badge/rust-lang/mdBook.svg?metric=stars)](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/rust-lang/mdBook?utm_source=readme_badge) [![Global Rank](https://githubrepo.cloud/badge/rust-lang/mdBook.svg?metric=rank)](https://githubrepo.cloud/repo/rust-lang/mdBook?utm_source=readme_badge)

Momentum

+554

STARS · LAST 30 DAYS

18

PER DAY

#63

MOST-STARRED Rust

Window7 days30 days90 days
Stars gained+126+554+1.6K
Per day181818
Forks gained+10+38+95

mdBook gained 554 stars in the last 30 days, about 18 a day, and now has 22.2K. It is about 11 years old and has averaged roughly 2K stars a year. It ranks #63 among Rust repositories and #479 across all languages on GitHubRepo.

Trending Record

mdBook has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #1975. Below is the 30-day activity profile:

💡 Overview

mdBook is an open-source project written in Rust: Create book from markdown files. Like Gitbook but implemented in Rust.

Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in Rust. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.

⚡ Key Features

1

Optimized execution pipeline written in Rust for predictable speed.

2

Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.

3

Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.

4

Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.

5

Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.

6

Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.

📥 Installation

terminal
$ cargo install mdBook

⚙ System Requirements

Platforms

  • • macOS
  • • Linux
  • • Windows

Runtime & Dependencies

Rust toolchain (rustc / cargo >= 1.70)

Architecture

x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)

🧠 How It Works

mdBook coordinates its core functionality through a modular Rust pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.

🎯 Production Use Cases

Production System Integration

Embed mdBook into Rust backend services to handle core application logic.

CI/CD Automated Pipelines

Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.

Developer Tooling & Workflows

Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.

Open Source Extension

Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open MPL-2.0 license.

🚀 Getting Started

1

Install mdBook using your package manager: `cargo install mdBook`

2

Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for mdBook.

3

Import mdBook into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.

4

Execute your test suite or run `mdBook --help` to verify successful setup.

👍 Strengths

Active community backing with 22,178 GitHub stars and verified adoption.
Permissive open-source distribution under the MPL-2.0 license.
Built in Rust for high execution speed and developer familiarity.
Cross-platform compatibility across modern Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Clean modular design allowing flexible configuration and pipeline integration.

⚠️ Considerations

Requires familiarity with Rust and modern CLI workflows.
Ecosystem extensions may require manual configuration depending on environment constraints.
Active development roadmap means breaking API changes may occur across major versions.

⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors

C
ultraworkers/claw-code ★ 195.3K Rust

An agent-managed museum exhibit, built in Rust with Gajae-Code / LazyCodex — developed and maintained with no human intervention.

Compare ↗
C

A modern GUI client based on Tauri, designed to run in Windows, macOS and Linux for tailored proxy experience

Compare ↗
C
farion1231/cc-switch ★ 137.5K Rust

A cross-platform desktop All-in-One assistant for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Grok Build & Hermes Agent. Only official website: ccswitch.io

Compare ↗
C
openai/codex ★ 127.4K Rust

Lightweight coding agent that runs in your terminal

Compare ↗

👥 Who Should Use This

Developers and engineering teams building with Rust, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.

🏆 Nearby in the Rankings

rust-lang/mdBook is currently ranked #479 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:

RankRepositoryLanguageStarsAction
#474 RustPython/RustPython Rust ★ 22.4K Compare ↗
#475 jundot/omlx Python ★ 22.3K Compare ↗
#476 facebook/flow Rust ★ 22.3K Compare ↗
#477 redis/go-redis Go ★ 22.3K Compare ↗
#478 Homebrew/homebrew-cask Ruby ★ 22.2K Compare ↗
#479 rust-lang/mdBook This Project Rust ★ 22.2K
#480 openobserve/openobserve TypeScript ★ 22.2K Compare ↗
#481 palantir/blueprint TypeScript ★ 22.1K Compare ↗
#482 steipete/CodexBar Swift ★ 22.1K Compare ↗
#483 QwikDev/qwik TypeScript ★ 22.1K Compare ↗
#484 lima-vm/lima Go ★ 22K Compare ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

What does mdBook do? +

Create book from markdown files. Like Gitbook but implemented in Rust

What language is mdBook written in? +

The primary language is Rust. Topics include: software.

Is mdBook actively maintained? +

Yes, the last recorded push was on Sep 30, 2026 with 661 open issues being tracked.

How many stars does mdBook have? +

mdBook has 22,178 stars and 1,905 forks on GitHub.

How does mdBook rank among GitHub repositories? +

With 22,178 stars, rust-lang/mdBook is ranked #479 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #63 among Rust projects.

What license is mdBook distributed under? +

The repository reports a MPL-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.

From our network
FOR MAINTAINERS

Built something? Put it in front of millions of developers.

We make a short reel about your project and post it across YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and X. Send a link, we do the rest.