Canonical has taken another measured step in its campaign to replace decades-old C code with Rust equivalents. Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed Stonking Stingray, ships with Sequoia PGP preinstalled and supported in the main repository. The move signals a long-term intent to sideline GnuPG, the longstanding standard for OpenPGP operations on Linux.
But not yet. The Ubuntu 26.10 release notes make the position clear. Sequoia PGP enters as an officially supported, modern implementation. The goal remains for it to become the default OpenPGP toolchain. For now, both coexist. The command gpg still launches GnuPG. Users must invoke sq or sqv directly to test the newcomer.
Origins of a Rust Challenger
Sequoia PGP traces its roots to 2017. Three former GnuPG developers chose to start fresh in Rust rather than continue patching the established C codebase. They built it first as a library. Applications can link directly to its components for encryption, signing and key handling. The command-line front ends sq and sqv provide familiar operations. One manages keys and performs encryption or decryption. The other focuses strictly on signature verification.
This architecture differs from GnuPG. Sequoia emphasizes library reuse. It also adopts RFC 9580, the 2024 update to the OpenPGP standard. GnuPG, by contrast, builds on the older RFC 4880 foundation and has pursued its own extensions under the LibrePGP banner. The split in standards support could create friction for some users. Yet Canonical sees interoperability as achievable.
Joey Sneddon at OMG! Ubuntu reported the inclusion on October 1, 2026. He noted that the rust-sequoia-sq package moved to main, granting it official backing. Canonical’s stated reason: a more maintainable and memory-safe foundation. The same logic has driven earlier replacements. Rust-based versions of sudo and core utilities like cp, mv and rm now ship by default.
Sourav Rudra at It’s FOSS, writing on October 5, tested both tools on a development build. They worked as expected. He highlighted that full replacement lies ahead. Scripts and tools calling gpg directly would need updates or wrappers. The transition, he observed, mirrors the careful path taken with other components.
Critics question the necessity. On X, The Lunduke Journal pointed to statements from longtime PGP developers. They described GnuPG as mature, audited and battle-hardened after 25 years. In their view, memory-safety concerns in its security-critical sections have been overstated. The post, which gained hundreds of engagements, suggested the Rust effort invented problems to justify new work and funding. Such pushback underscores a divide. Some see incremental safety gains as essential. Others view the established code as sufficient when properly maintained.
Canonical shows no signs of retreat. Its October 6 blog post on Ubuntu 26.10 security, authored by Ijlal Loutfi, frames the broader Rust push. Core utilities now run entirely on Rust implementations from the uutils project. The change eliminates entire classes of memory errors at compile time. Similar benefits are expected from Sequoia. The release notes echo this. Adoption of Sequoia lets Ubuntu keep OpenPGP compatibility while shifting toward safer code.
Recent coverage reinforces the pattern. A Phoronix article from early October framed the inclusion as the next Rust effort targeting OpenPGP. No major new developments have surfaced in the past week. The final Ubuntu 26.10 release is due October 15. Until then, administrators can experiment with sq sign or sq verify commands. Packages under the rust-sequoia-* names appear in default installs.
The library-first design of Sequoia may prove its greatest strength. Desktop applications, mail clients and other tools could adopt its crates without command-line wrappers. That path could accelerate uptake beyond what a simple drop-in replacement would achieve. Yet compatibility remains the watchword. GnuPG stays in the repositories. No immediate breakage for existing workflows.
So the question lingers. Will enterprises and long-term support users embrace the change once it arrives in a future LTS? Or will the weight of existing scripts, signatures and key infrastructure slow the handover? Canonical has placed its bet on Rust’s safety guarantees. The coming releases will test whether that wager pays off in one of cryptography’s most conservative domains.
One thing is certain. The oxidation of Ubuntu’s foundational tools continues. From time synchronization to file operations to encryption primitives, C code yields ground. Sequoia PGP marks the latest front. Observers will watch closely how smoothly the transition unfolds once sq assumes the mantle of default.