> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ubuntu's Rustification Has a New Milestone! Coreutils Migration is Complete - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-rustification-coreutils-migration/ - Published: 2026-09-15T16:21:36.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-15T16:21:36.000Z - Description: The Ubuntu 26.10 release moves its last three GNU commands, cp, mv, and rm, to Rust. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: News Ubuntu has managed to do away with [GNU Core Utilities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU%5FCore%5FUtilities?ref=itsfoss.com) in its default stack. The last three holdouts, `cp`, `mv` and `rm`, have moved to uutils' [coreutils](https://github.com/uutils/coreutils?ref=itsfoss.com); the Rust reimplementation Canonical has been feeding into the distro since 2025. They had been held back from 26.04 LTS over flaws in the uutils versions. Everything else, from `ls` and `cat` to `chmod` and `du`, made that jump in earlier releases. This change, while big, sits hidden away in an obscure mention in Canonical's work-in-progress [release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.10/?ref=itsfoss.com#rust-coreutils) for [Ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/). ## It's been a long road Canonical [started oxidising Ubuntu last year](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/carefully-but-purposefully-oxidising-ubuntu/56995?ref=itsfoss.com), and Ubuntu 25.10 became the first release to ship *coreutils* as the default. That release also made [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) the default privilege tool, replacing a command that had been in place for decades. 26.04 was the release where the plan did slow down quite a bit, as Canonical kept *cp*, *mv*, and *rm* on their GNU versions due to a bunch of [TOCTOU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-of-check%5Fto%5Ftime-of-use?ref=itsfoss.com) issues that were blocking the full implementation. These were caught during an audit, when Canonical commissioned Zellic [for two rounds](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/an-update-on-rust-coreutils/80773?ref=itsfoss.com) between December 2025 and March 2026, focusing on the most security-sensitive utilities first. Across both rounds, Zellic raised **113 issues**, and **44 of them were assigned CVEs**. Canonical says the vast majority have been resolved. Getting here has had its ups and downs, and **the last stretch was not clean**. In July, uutils `cp` went [back into the archive](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/coreutils-from/+bug/2158691?ref=itsfoss.com) and came straight out again after it broke live image builds. The fix was quick; as the developers marked it "*Critical,*" the fix went upstream, and the migration landed in time for 26.10. ## What changes for you? When typing commands, nothing changes for you on the surface. uutils coreutils is designed to be a drop-in replacement for essential GNU tools, and the project treats any divergence from GNU as a bug, further pointing out that some options may still be missing or behave differently. **So if you prefer staying on the GNU version**, you have the option to install the `coreutils-from-gnu` [package](https://packages.ubuntu.com/stonking/coreutils-from-gnu?ref=itsfoss.com) that houses all the required components. ## The next stage Coreutils is one piece of a broader campaign. Earlier this year, Canonical [became a Gold Sponsor](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-ntpd-rs-push/) of the Trifecta Tech Foundation, pitching in €40,000 a year to fund memory-safe system software. Under this, their current target is **ntpd-rs**, a Rust rewrite of the tools Ubuntu uses to keep its clock in sync. While work is still ongoing, it has [already arrived](https://packages.ubuntu.com/source/stonking/rust-ntpd?ref=itsfoss.com) for testing. Its transition to being default is targeted for Ubuntu 27.04. What Canonical is gradually building up towards is the completion of their oxidation vision for Ubuntu, and **it's not about blindly including new components**. Rather, it looks like a measured approach that's being worked out a few steps at a time. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Linux* [*is getting ready to purge*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/) *old 32-bit Arm platform code.* [Linux Kernel is Getting Ready to Purge Old 32-bit Arm Platform CodeThese thirteen patches would delete the deprecated platform code, and the driver cleanup will follow later.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-6112bbd6-59d8-42a5-89d1-7438bbff0aed.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-arm-purge-banner-32aa615e-0819-4281-bf36-01d1e0e97096.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/)