Install uutils-coreutils with Homebrew, apk, dnf, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• uu-[
• uu-arch
• uu-b2sum
• uu-base32
• uu-base64
• uu-basename
• uu-basenc
• uu-cat
• uu-chgrp
• uu-chmod
• uu-chown
• uu-chroot
• uu-cksum
• uu-comm
• uu-coreutils
• uu-cp
• uu-csplit
• uu-cut
• uu-date
• uu-dd
• uu-df
• uu-dir
• uu-dircolors
• uu-dirname
• uu-du
• uu-echo
• uu-env
• uu-expand
• uu-expr
• uu-factor
• uu-false
• uu-fmt

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in 2013 and describes the project as a cross-platform Rust rewrite of GNU coreutils. The README says all programs have been implemented, while acknowledging that some options or behaviors may still differ.

The project's public goal is compatibility rather than reinvention: it aims to be a drop-in replacement for GNU utilities, and differences from GNU are treated as bugs. The documentation also describes a shared uucore library, generated manuals, shell completions, a multicall binary, individually buildable utilities, and optional prefixed installation such as uu-echo and uu-cat.

Adoption history

uutils-coreutils moved from experiment to production adoption in the mid-2020s. The official uutils users page says Ubuntu began progressively replacing GNU coreutils with uutils, with Ubuntu 25.10 using uutils coreutils by default as real-world testing before the next LTS cycle.

The same official users page records broader adoption: Microsoft ships uutils-derived Coreutils for Windows, VS Code for the Web uses uutils coreutils compiled to WebAssembly/WASI for browser terminal commands, Redox OS uses uutils as its coreutils layer, Alpine, Debian, Fedora/EPEL, NixOS, Buildroot, Termux, ChromeOS, and macOS package-manager ecosystems all carry it in some form.

How it is used

Package users install it to get Rust implementations of familiar tools such as cat, cp, ls, rm, sort, tail, wc, and many others. Builders can choose a multicall binary, individual binaries, platform feature sets, prefixed command names, or no-prefix replacement behavior depending on distribution policy.

Why package nerds care

This is one of the rare package-manager stories where a rewrite of basic Unix plumbing became a serious distribution-level alternative to GNU coreutils. It matters to package nerds because it touches bootstrapping, licensing choices, cross-platform script portability, shell-completion/manpage generation, alternative providers, and the risk profile of replacing commands that every build script assumes.

Timeline

• 2013: uutils/coreutils repository created on GitHub.
• 2020: Earliest GitHub release in the release feed, 0.0.1.
• 2025: uutils users page records Ubuntu 25.10 shipping uutils coreutils by default.
• 2026: GitHub README lists 0.9.0 as the latest release and says uutils coreutils ships by default on Ubuntu since 25.10.

Related projects

• Related projects include GNU coreutils, BusyBox, Toybox, Redox OS, uutils findutils, uutils diffutils, uutils grep, and other uutils rewrites such as sed, tar, util-linux, procps, and shadow.

Sources

• GitHub API for uutils/coreutils repository creation date and release API for earliest release.
• https://github.com/uutils/coreutils README for goals, build/install modes, command scope, Ubuntu note, and release count.
• https://uutils.github.io/coreutils/docs/ for cross-platform documentation and uucore note.
• https://uutils.org/coreutils/ for production-ready status and goals.
• https://uutils.org/users/ for adoption by Ubuntu, Microsoft, Redox, VS Code for the Web, distributions, and package managers.