Ubuntu is transitioning to the Rust programming language for several core Linux utilities, as reported by ZDNet. Jon Seager, Canonical’s VP of engineering, stated that the decision is driven by resilience and memory safety rather than performance. The shift begins with Ubuntu 25.10, replacing key system components with Rust-based alternatives. This effort includes the adoption of sudo-rs, a Rust implementation of sudo, and uutils/coreutils for Linux’s default core utilities like ls, cp, and mv. These changes aim for functional parity with GNU coreutils while enhancing safety and maintainability.
Additionally, Ubuntu 26.04 will introduce TPM-backed full disk encryption, similar to features in Windows BitLocker and macOS FileVault. Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth emphasized the potential of Linux to offer a more universally appealing desktop experience, stating, “I’m a believer in the potential of Linux to deliver a desktop that could have wider and universal appeal.” However, he also acknowledged the challenges, noting that “the open-source community needs to understand that building desktops for people who aren’t engineers is different. We need to understand that the ‘simple and just works’ is also really important.” Shuttleworth’s comments highlight the ongoing efforts to make Linux more accessible and user-friendly beyond the technical community.