Canonical Reaffirms Plans For Ubuntu 27.04 To Use ntpd

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Published: 2026-10-06T21:25:28.968Z • Permanent link

Breaking: Canonical Reaffirms Plans For Ubuntu 27.04 To Use ntpd

Canonical's latest move has sent shockwaves throughout the Linux community, as the company has reaffirmed its decision to transition more Ubuntu Linux system components to Rust-based implementations. This news comes hot on the heels of their announcement in March that ntpd-rs would be their next target. For those who may not be familiar, ntpd is a widely used synchronization package that ensures clocks across systems remain in sync. The decision to move towards ntpd-rs, a Rust-based implementation of the package, has been met with both excitement and skepticism from the community.

Leading the charge behind this move is Matti Salonen, a seasoned Linux developer and member of Canonical's core team. Salonen has been instrumental in driving the adoption of Rust-based implementations across various Ubuntu components, citing the language's strong focus on security and performance as key factors. The Ubuntu 26.10 testing release, which includes the ntpd-rs package, has already garnered significant attention from researchers and developers alike. However, critics argue that the move may introduce compatibility issues and increase the learning curve for new users.

The reasoning behind Canonical's decision is multifaceted. Firstly, Rust's emphasis on memory safety and performance is expected to provide a significant boost to the stability and responsiveness of Ubuntu's system components. Secondly, the move is seen as a strategic effort to establish a stronger presence in the Rust ecosystem, which has gained significant traction in recent years. By transitioning more components to Rust-based implementations, Canonical aims to position Ubuntu as a leader in the Rust space, thereby expanding its user base and attracting new developers to the platform.

The implications of Canonical's decision to move towards ntpd-rs extend far beyond the Linux community. For companies that rely on Ubuntu for their production environments, the introduction of Rust-based implementations could have significant implications for their infrastructure and operations. Research communities, particularly those focused on security and performance, will also need to adapt to the changes. In the markets, this could lead to increased competition between Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, such as Red Hat and SUSE, which may also be exploring Rust-based implementations.

The impact on the Linux ecosystem as a whole is also worth noting. Canonical's move is part of a larger trend towards greater adoption of Rust in the open-source community. As a result, we can expect to see more Linux distributions and system components transitioning to Rust-based implementations in the coming years. This, in turn, could lead to a more homogenized and efficient Linux ecosystem, with a greater focus on security and performance.