As you may know, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source image editing software used a lot on Linux systems, as a free alternative of Adobe Photoshop (that can be used hand-in-hand with Darktable).
It is widely used by photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and digital artists, providing a set of tools for tasks like photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design. It also includes layer masking, color corection and digital painting, making the tool very powerful.
It supports a wide variety of file formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and PSD, making it an ideal choice for both professionals and amateurs. The software has a customizable user interface, allowing users to tailor the workspace to their preferences. Also, the basic functionality can be extended via various community-created extensions.
As a free and open-source program, GIMP is continuously improved by a vibrant community of developers and contributors. This ensures that the software stays up-to-date with modern editing trends and tools. Whether you’re refining a photograph, creating stunning digital artwork, or designing eye-catching graphics, GIMP empowers you to bring your creative visions to life without the cost of proprietary alternatives.
The latest version available:
The latest version available is Gimp 2.10.38, which brings various new features and enhancements:
- Updated User Interface and HiDPI Support: Introduced a new dark theme with symbolic icons by default, along with four UI themes (Dark, Gray, Light, System) and icon sizes to improve usability, especially on HiDPI displays.
- GEGL Integration and High Bit Depth Support: Completed the transition to the GEGL image processing engine, enabling high bit depth processing (up to 32-bit per color channel), multi-threading, and GPU-side processing for enhanced performance and image quality.
- Linear Color Space Workflow: Allowed users to work in both linear and perceptual RGB color spaces, providing flexibility in blending modes, color inversion, and application of levels and curves.
- Enhanced Color Management: Integrated color management as a core feature, utilizing LittleCMS v2 for ICC v4 color profiles and improving color accuracy across the application.
New and Improved Tools:
- Unified Transform Tool: Combined multiple transformation operations into a single tool for streamlined editing.
- Warp Transform Tool: Provided a versatile tool for warping images with precision.
- Handle Transform Tool: Enabled manipulation of images using handles for scaling, rotating, and skewing.
Digital Painting Enhancements: Added support for canvas rotation and flipping, improved brush dynamics, and updated the Smudge tool to better cater to digital artists.
Digital Photography Improvements: Introduced new GEGL-based filters such as Exposure, Shadows-Highlights, and High-pass for advanced photo editing capabilities.
Layer and Mask Advancements:
- Allowed layer groups to have masks, enhancing non-destructive editing workflows.
- Exposed compositing options for layers, providing greater control over layer interactions.
Expanded File Format Support:
- Enabled reading and writing of TIFF, PNG, PSD, and FITS files with up to 32-bit per channel precision.
- Introduced native support for the WebP format, including features like animation, ICC profiles, and metadata.
- Improved PSD plug-in to support additional blending modes such as pass-through, hard mix, pin light, vivid light, and linear light.
Metadata Handling: Included plug-ins for viewing and editing Exif, XMP, IPTC, GPS, and DICOM metadata, with options to preserve metadata in various file formats during export.
How To Install GIMP 2.10.38 On Ubuntu 24.10, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04 And Derivative Systems (via Snap)
What is Snap?
Snap is a package management system developed by Canonical, the creators of Ubuntu. It allows applications to be packaged with all their dependencies, making installations easier and reducing compatibility issues across different Linux distributions.
One of the key advantages of Snap packages is that they run in a sandboxed environment, which enhances security and stability. Additionally, Snap packages are updated automatically in the background, ensuring that users always have the latest version of an application without manual intervention.
However, some users may find that Snap applications take up more disk space due to bundling dependencies, and they may have slightly slower startup times compared to traditional DEB packages.
Prepare Snap, if needed
On Ubuntu, Snap is pre-installed, but if you are using a Linux distribution where Snap is not integrated by default, you can install it using the following command:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapdAfter installing Snap, you may need to enable and start the Snap service:
sudo systemctl enable --now snapdInstall GIMP via Snap
Since GIMP is officially available as a Snap package, installing it on Ubuntu is straightforward. Open a terminal and run the following command:
sudo snap install gimpThis will download and install the latest version of GIMP from the Snap Store.
Optional: Uninstall GIMP Using Snap
If you ever need to remove GIMP, you can do so with the following command:
sudo snap remove gimpHow To Install GIMP 2.10.38 On Ubuntu 24.10, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04 And Derivative Systems (via Flatpak)
What is Flatpak?
Flatpak is another popular package management system, designed to provide a consistent and secure way of distributing applications across various Linux distributions. Unlike Snap, which is developed and maintained by Canonical, Flatpak is an open-source project supported by the Freedesktop community.
Flatpak applications run in their own sandboxed environment, which prevents them from interfering with system files. This ensures better security and isolation while allowing applications to run on any Linux distribution that supports Flatpak.
One of Flatpak’s main advantages is its decentralized nature. Users can download applications from Flathub, the main Flatpak repository, rather than relying on distribution-specific repositories. However, just like Snap, Flatpak applications can take up more space due to their bundled dependencies.
Setup Flatpak and Install GIMP
If you prefer to install GIMP using Flatpak, first ensure that you have Flatpak installed on your system. If Flatpak is not installed, you can set it up with the following command:
sudo apt install flatpakNext, add the Flathub repository, which hosts the GIMP Flatpak package:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoOnce Flatpak is installed and Flathub is added, install GIMP with:
flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMPOptional: Uninstall GIMP Using Flatpak
To remove GIMP if installed via Flatpak, use the command:
flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.gimp.GIMPConclusion
GIMP is a powerful and versatile open-source image editor that provides advanced tools for photo manipulation, graphic design, and digital painting. Whether you are a professional designer or a casual user, having GIMP installed on your system ensures that you have access to a feature-rich application without any cost.
With both Snap and Flatpak options available, installing GIMP on Ubuntu and its derivative systems is straightforward. The Snap version offers seamless integration with Ubuntu, automatic updates, and sandboxed security, while the Flatpak version provides greater flexibility across different Linux distributions through the Flathub repository.
Depending on your preference, you can choose the installation method that best fits your workflow and system requirements.
Whichever method you opt for, GIMP remains an excellent alternative to commercial image editors, giving you complete creative freedom with its extensive set of tools and plugins.
Popular free photo editing software for Linux and Ubuntu
- GIMP – One of the most powerful open-source photo editors, often considered a free alternative to Photoshop. It supports layers, masks, filters, and various plugins.
- Inkscape – A vector graphics editor ideal for creating illustrations, logos, and scalable designs. It is a great alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
- RawTherapee – A high-quality RAW image processor designed for photographers who need advanced color correction, noise reduction, and image enhancement tools.
- Darktable – A professional-grade photo workflow application and RAW developer, similar to Adobe Lightroom, with non-destructive editing capabilities.
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