How to Install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04

Introduction

Before we begin talking about how to install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04, let’s briefly understand - What is GIMP?

GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a free and open-source software used for editing and retouching images. It offers a wide range of tools and features, similar to professional graphic editing programs. GIMP allows users to enhance photos, create artwork, and manipulate images with ease.

With its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options, GIMP is a popular choice for both beginners and advanced users. Whether you want to adjust colors, remove backgrounds, or apply filters, GIMP provides powerful editing capabilities for all your image editing needs.

In this tutorial, you will install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04.

Advantages of GIMP

1. Free and Open-Source: GIMP is freely available for download, making it accessible to everyone without any cost.
2. Versatile Editing Tools: With a wide range of features, GIMP enables users to perform professional-level editing and retouching tasks.
3. Customization Options: Users can personalize GIMP's interface and workflows according to their preferences for a personalized editing experience.
4. Extensive File Format Support: GIMP supports various file formats, including popular ones like JPEG, PNG, GIF, and PSD.
5. Community Support: GIMP has a large and active community, providing tutorials, plugins, and updates to enhance user experience and address queries.

Prerequisites to Install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04

• An Ubuntu 20.04 system
• A user account with sudo/root access

Update Operating System

1) Firstly, you need to make sure that the existing packages are up to date. Update your Ubuntu Operating System for that.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Assuming that you have sudo status, we will be using sudo command in this tutorial.

You can verify if sudo status exists, using the below command:

sudo whoami

If you are a root user, you will be getting the following output:

[vegastack@ubuntu ~]$ sudo whoami
root

If you want to set up a new sudo user, visit our tutorial on How to Create a Sudo User on Ubuntu.

We will be discussing four different methods to install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04.

Method 1 - Install GIMP with APT Manager

Use the default apt repository provided by Ubuntu to get the stable and secure version of of GIMP.

1) Firstly, execute the following command:

sudo apt install gimp

2) Now, you will get an option to select Y or N. Select Y and press Enter to begin the installation.

3) You can confirm if the installation is successful by checking the apt-cache policy on GIMP.

apt-cache policy gimp

4) apt-update and apt upgrade commands will be used respectively in the future to handle the updates.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

5) In case you want to remove the GIMP installed using APT package manager, use the following command:

sudo apt autoremove gimp --purge

6) Then type Y and press Enter to proceed with the removal.

Method 2 - Install GIMP with Snapcraft (Snap)

Following this method, you can install GIMP with Snap. Snapcraft package manager is installed by default on the Ubuntu desktop, unless you have removed it manually.

If you want to install Snap, use the below commands:

sudo apt install snapd -y

You will get some packages in classic, create a symlink to enable classic snap support.

sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap

Now, restart the GDM3 service to log you out of the current session.

sudo systemctl restart gdm3

After that, install the core files to avoid any conflicts:

sudo snap install core

You will get the following output:

core 16-2.51.7 from Canonical✓ installed

For Installing GIMP

Now, enter the following Snap command to install the GIMP client:

sudo snap install gimp

You will get the output as below:

gimp 2.10.24 from Snapcrafters installed

In the future, when the update is required, just run the following command:

sudo snap refresh

In case you want to remove GIMP, use the below command:

sudo snap remove gimp

You will get the below output:

Output

gimp removed

Method 3 - Install GIMP with Flatpak

Flatpak is not installed by default in the Ubuntu operating system. This method is popular among users from non-Debian and Ubuntu based OS.

If Flatpak doesn't exist in your system, reinstall it along with its dependencies.

sudo apt install flatpak -y

Now, enable the Flatpack using the following command in your terminal:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Now, install GIMP using the following command:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP

Type Y and press Enter to proceed with the installation.

If you want to check the application icon, log in and out of the session and use the following command:

sudo systemctl restart gdm3

Flatpacks automatically handles the updates. If you want to check the updates manually, use the following command:

flatpak update

To remove the Flatpack version of GMP, use the below command:

sudo flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.gimp.GIMP

Type Y and press Enter to remove Flatpack.

Launch GMP Application

Once you have installed the GIMP client, you can launch it in two ways:

1) Type the below command in your terminal:

gimp

2) You can even launch and use the terminal by sending the process to the background:

gimp &

Alternatively, you can use the below command:

flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP

You can also navigate to the path: Activities > Show Applications > GNU Image Manipulation Program. You can also search for this particular application and then access it.

FAQs to Install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04

Conclusion

We hope this detailed tutorial helped you understand how to install GIMP on Ubuntu 20.04. To learn more about GIMP installation, check out the official GIMP installation document.

If you have any queries, please leave a comment below, and we’ll be happy to respond to them for sure.