Ubuntu Shifts to Rust: A New Beginning?

The Linux community is being rocked by a seismic change with Ubuntu, one of the most popular distributions, set to eliminate GNU components in favor of Rust-based replacements. Starting with Ubuntu 25.10, Canonical—the organization behind Ubuntu—is set to substitute classic GNU CoreUtils with Rust-coded equivalents, a major departure from four decades of GNU-based tools.

Why the Change?

This change isn't all about tech developments; it's because of security and performance enhancement needs. GNU CoreUtils, written in C, has been prone to vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows and memory management issues. Rust, however, is built to eliminate these issues with its inherent memory safety capabilities, lowering the chances of vulnerabilities.

In addition to security, Rust provides better multi-threading support, offering better performance for today's computing environment. This is important because Ubuntu continues to optimize for the enterprise use case and cloud-based infrastructure.

A Shift in Open-Source Philosophy?

One of the most contentious elements of this shift is licensing. In contrast to the GPL (General Public License) employed by GNU/Linux, Ubuntu's Rust-based tools will be governed by the MIT license—a less restrictive model that permits modifications without obliging users to make their changes available. While this freedom might promote greater adoption by corporations, it has caused alarm among free software proponents, who believe it erodes the core values of open-source collaboration.

What Does This Mean for Users?

Canonical is making this transition gradual, introducing a tool called Oxidizer that allows users to test Rust-based utilities alongside their GNU counterparts. Oxidizer, available via GitHub and Ubuntu’s package manager, enables users to switch between old and new commands, ensuring compatibility while adapting to the new ecosystem.

Early trials indicate significant performance improvements. For instance, the Rust alternative to Black, a GNU utility, is said to run six times faster than its ancestor. If these gains are sustained, Ubuntu may set the standard for optimized Linux distributions.

The Future of Linux?

Ubuntu's decision marks a larger Linux revolution, particularly since the Linux kernel itself incorporates Rust elements. Individuals such as Linus Torvalds have been optimistic about Rust's use in securing and furthering Linux development. Should Ubuntu's test prove successful, other distributions will likely do the same, perhaps lessening the significance of the "GNU/Linux" identity.

Yet this transformation is not without controversy. Some users embrace improved performance and security, but others dread losing GNU's underlying philosophy of freely distributed, community-developed software.

Ubuntu's adoption of Rust is an innovation and a crossroads of philosophy for Linux. While the shift holds tighter security and better performance in its potential, the license change raises subtle questions regarding the future of free software. With Ubuntu 25.10 looming on the horizon, users must decide if they support this evolution—or cling to GNU's heritage.

Will this evolution make Linux greater, or eat away at its core values? Only time will tell. What do you guys think?