Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Rust is becoming a core part of Ubuntu's future. What started with projects like sudo-rs has evolved into a broader effort to bring memory-safe software to one of the world's most widely used Linux distributions. But what does adopting Rust at this scale actually look like?
In this livestream, Orhun Parmaksız is joined by Jon Seager, VP Engineering at Canonical, to discuss how Rust is shaping Ubuntu today and where it's headed next. They'll explore:
Why Canonical is investing in Rust and where it's already used across Ubuntu.
The story behind projects like sudo-rs, Rust Coreutils, ntpd-rs, and Rustls.
How Rust applications are packaged, shipped, and maintained in Ubuntu.
The security, performance, and supply chain benefits driving adoption.
Internal tooling, AI-assisted development, and C-to-Rust migration efforts.
Challenges, lessons learned, and the biggest misconceptions about Rust in Ubuntu.
The future of Rust in Ubuntu and what’s coming next.
Whether you're interested in systems programming, Linux infrastructure, or large-scale Rust adoption, this conversation offers an inside look at how one of the world's most influential Linux distributions is embracing Rust.
00:00 Introduction
01:52 Jon Seager's path at Canonical and into Rust
04:06 Why Rust?
06:26 Rust in Ubuntu today (coreutils and sudo-rs)
10:02 ntpd-rs and unified NTP/NTS/PTP time synchronization
12:36 UPKI & Rustls
17:00 Adoption beyond Ubuntu
18:57 Why rewrite mature Unix tools
22:44 Compatibility surprises
26:11 GPL vs MIT
31:08 Adoption by other Linux distributions
32:16 Packaging, maintainer load, bugs & security audits
35:30 crates.io risk & vendoring
37:57 Reproducible builds & SBOMs
39:36 Rust interoperability and AI-assisted migration
45:37 Developer skills in the AI era
48:39 Funding & future priorities
52:25 Snaps, cross-distro use & MSRVs
58:43 Closing
#Rust #Ubuntu #Linux #OpenSource #SystemsProgramming
Rust is becoming a core part of Ubuntu's future. What started with projects like sudo-rs has evolved into a broader effort to bring memory-safe software to one of the world's most widely used Linux distributions. But what does adopting Rust at this scale actually look like?
In this livestream, Orhun Parmaksız is joined by Jon Seager, VP Engineering at Canonical, to discuss how Rust is shaping Ubuntu today and where it's headed next. They'll explore:
Why Canonical is investing in Rust and where it's already used across Ubuntu.
The story behind projects like sudo-rs, Rust Coreutils, ntpd-rs, and Rustls.
How Rust applications are packaged, shipped, and maintained in Ubuntu.
The security, performance, and supply chain benefits driving adoption.
Internal tooling, AI-assisted development, and C-to-Rust migration efforts.
Challenges, lessons learned, and the biggest misconceptions about Rust in Ubuntu.
The future of Rust in Ubuntu and what’s coming next.
Whether you're interested in systems programming, Linux infrastructure, or large-scale Rust adoption, this conversation offers an inside look at how one of the world's most influential Linux distributions is embracing Rust.
00:00 Introduction
01:52 Jon Seager's path at Canonical and into Rust
04:06 Why Rust?
06:26 Rust in Ubuntu today (coreutils and sudo-rs)
10:02 ntpd-rs and unified NTP/NTS/PTP time synchronization
12:36 UPKI & Rustls
17:00 Adoption beyond Ubuntu
18:57 Why rewrite mature Unix tools
22:44 Compatibility surprises
26:11 GPL vs MIT
31:08 Adoption by other Linux distributions
32:16 Packaging, maintainer load, bugs & security audits
35:30 crates.io risk & vendoring
37:57 Reproducible builds & SBOMs
39:36 Rust interoperability and AI-assisted migration
45:37 Developer skills in the AI era
48:39 Funding & future priorities
52:25 Snaps, cross-distro use & MSRVs
58:43 Closing
#Rust #Ubuntu #Linux #OpenSource #SystemsProgramming
