Ubuntu’s integration of Rust-based coreutils in version 25.10 has faced challenges, highlighted by a bug that disrupted automatic update checks across all environments including desktops, servers, and cloud instances. This issue stemmed from a malfunction in the date command, which is essential for the unattended-upgrades process that checks for software updates.
Canonical’s Julian Andres Klode confirmed the bug’s existence, stating that it caused the date utility to incorrectly display the current date, thwarting the automatic update mechanism from functioning properly. Fortunately, this bug has now been resolved, but only systems running rust-coreutils versions 0.2.2-0ubuntu2 or earlier are affected. Users will need to manually run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade to implement the fix since automatic updates can no longer be relied upon.
While this issue may seem severe, it primarily affected users who depended on automatic updates. Manual checks for updates through the command line or Software Updater remained unaffected. Critics suggest this issue should have been identified sooner during testing, but given that Ubuntu 25.10 was just released two weeks ago—and required a user to delay manual updates to notice the bug—discovering it did take time.
The original concern arose from the impact on some users who were using the date utility for custom scripting, leading to catastrophic failures like missed backups. Initially, developers intended to address the issue at a later date, focusing first on other critical problems. However, once it was recognized that this bug obstructed Ubuntu’s unattended-upgrades, its priority was escalated.
Ubuntu 25.10 serves as a short-term release intended to test new features and potential issues ahead of the next Long-Term Support (LTS) version set for release on April 23, 2026. This process ensures that the new Rust-based utilities will meet the required standards for stability and security in future LTS offerings.