Urlx: A memory-safe Rust replacement for curl/libcurl

Urlx represents an ambitious and meticulously engineered reimagining of curl, addressing long-standing memory safety concerns inherent in the original C implementation. By leveraging Rust's ownership model and type system, the project provides a ground-up rewrite that maintains near-complete compatibility with curl's extensive feature set while fundamentally improving security and performance characteristics.

The architecture is thoughtfully designed across three integrated crates: liburlx (core Rust transfer library), liburlx-ffi (C ABI compatibility layer), and urlx-cli (drop-in command-line tool). This modular approach allows seamless integration into existing systems, supporting protocols ranging from HTTP and FTP to WebSocket and MQTT, with native async and sync Rust APIs that provide idiomatic language support.

With a remarkable 1,300 tests passed from curl's own test suite and zero unsafe code outside the FFI boundary, Urlx isn't just a theoretical exercise but a pragmatic, production-ready networking library. By replacing OpenSSL with rustls and providing comprehensive protocol support, it offers systems programmers and network developers a compelling alternative that doesn't compromise on functionality or compatibility.