Ubuntu 26.10 adds a Rust-based OpenPGP implementation, Sequoia PGP, to default installs. GnuPG is still included, but Canonical plans to 'phase' it out.
You have to be careful with in-house developed tools though. Canonical outright owns the majority of the code and outside contributors need to sign a contributor’s licensing agreement that would allow Canonical to use their code in a proprietary version if Canonical chose to do so.
Yes, the GPL version would still exist, but Canonical could continue working on the proprietary version and not push the commits to the GPL version.
I’m not saying Canonical would do this. And you can replace “Canonical” in the prior sentences with any company and/or software that requires a contributor licensing agreement.
You have to be careful with in-house developed tools though. Canonical outright owns the majority of the code and outside contributors need to sign a contributor’s licensing agreement that would allow Canonical to use their code in a proprietary version if Canonical chose to do so.
Yes, the GPL version would still exist, but Canonical could continue working on the proprietary version and not push the commits to the GPL version.
I’m not saying Canonical would do this. And you can replace “Canonical” in the prior sentences with any company and/or software that requires a contributor licensing agreement.