Ubuntu 26.10 completes transition to Rust-based coreutils

Recorded: Sept. 14, 2026, 3:09 p.m.

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Bingo – full house of memory-safe utilities now included Ubuntu 26.10 completes transition to Rust-based coreutils

by Joey Sneddon
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Updated 19 hours ago
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Ubuntu 26.10 completes the distro’s move to Rust-based core utilities, with the commands previously held back due to security issues now migrated to memory-safe versions.
cp, mv and rm were held back on their GNU versions in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS due to a crop of TOCTOU (time-of-check to time-of-use) issues that needed to be fixed in the uutils versions.
With those issues resolved upstream, Ubuntu 26.10 finishes the job. The ‘Stonking Stingray’ ships a full set of Rust core utilities, which encompasses common command-line tools like ls, cat, chmod and du.
Canonical donates €40k a year to help fund work on Rust software
Canonical’s engineers began ‘oxidising’ the distro – replacing foundational software with Rust alternatives – in 2025. It sees security benefits in doing so, since Rust catches memory bugs at compile time, whereas C compilers don’t.
Ubuntu 25.10 was the first release to ship with Rust-based utilities and made Rust-based sudo the default.
Migrating hasn’t been without hiccups, but Canonical has been studious.
It commissioned a security audit of uutils ahead of 26.04, which found the issues that kept the three commands back on their GNU versions. It’s also a gold sponsor of the Trifecta Tech Foundation, giving €40,000 a year to fund its work on Rust software.
The non-profit foundation is undertaking a Rust-based rewrite of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), and Ubuntu plans to use it as the default time sync client by 27.10.
Here, the completion of the coreutils migration offers no functional difference to end users. The Rust-based uutils aims for drop-in compatibility with GNU versions, and treats any deviances as a bug. That’s by designed; the point is one of improved security.
Ubuntu 26.10 ‘Stonking Stingray’ beta arrives later this month, before the stable release on 15 October, 2026.

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Ubuntu 26.10 finalized the distribution’s transition to utilizing Rust-based core utilities, which involves migrating commands previously restricted due to security concerns to memory-safe versions. This significant update involves core command-line tools such as cp, mv, and rm, which were held back on their GNU counterparts in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS because of unresolved TOCTOU (time-of-check to time-of-use) issues within the uutils versions. With those upstream issues resolved, Ubuntu 26.10 successfully incorporates a comprehensive set of Rust core utilities, including common tools like ls, cat, chmod, and du.

Canonical has pursued this evolution by "oxidizing" the distribution, replacing foundational software with Rust alternatives, based on the principle that Rust inherently catches memory bugs at compile time, offering substantial security benefits compared to C compilers. This migration was not instantaneous; Ubuntu 25.10 was the initial release to feature Rust-based utilities and default Rust sudo, and the process involved careful study. Canonical commissioned a security audit of uutils prior to 26.04, which identified the specific flaws necessitating the restriction of the commands, showcasing a deliberate and studious approach to the transition.

The design philosophy behind the migration emphasizes security over functional difference. The Rust-based uutils are engineered to maintain drop-in compatibility with GNU versions, treating any deviation as an error, thereby ensuring that the primary objective of improved security is met without introducing functional disparities for end users. Furthermore, this commitment to Rust development is supported by Canonical's external engagement; the organization annually donates €40,000 to fund work on Rust software through the Trifecta Tech Foundation. This foundation is actively engaged in rewriting the Network Time Protocol, and Ubuntu intends to adopt this rewritten protocol as the default time synchronization client by Ubuntu 27.10.

The upcoming Ubuntu 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' beta is scheduled to arrive later this month, preceding the stable release on October 15, 2026. This completion of the coreutils migration represents a culmination of efforts to enhance foundational system security by leveraging Rust's memory safety features across the operating system's command-line interface.