GIMP is the acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a free and open-source cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Windows etc. It is frequently referred to as a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It is a highly versatile tool, it can be used for various purposes like a basic drawing program, high-quality image manipulation, retouching, restoring images and so on. GIMP recently celebrated its 20th birthday and on the same day 2.8.16 version of it has been released. GIMP comes with a wide array of features including layers, masks, filters and special effects.
In this tutorial, we will learn how to install and uninstall GIMP 2.8.16 on Ubuntu versions.
Related Read: How to Install GIMP on Ubuntu 18.04/20.04
Installing GIMP
We can install the latest stable version of GIMP in Ubuntu (>=12.04) using Thorsten Stettin's PPA repository. Use the following command:
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/gimp
After this, we can install the latest version either using command line or by launching the software updater.
To install using command line, execute the following commands:
$ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install gimp
If you want to install using GUI, then launch the software updater. Once it is launched, it will list GIMP as one of the software to be installed among others if any. Go ahead and press the 'Install Now' button to complete the installation.
Once the installation is complete, cross-check the version of GIMP that is installed using the 'gimp -v' command.
$ gimp -v
Now, start the program by typing 'gimp' in the command line or by launching the application.
When the application is launched, you see the following window and you are ready to start using GIMP:
Uninstallation
If for some reason, you want to remove GIMP from your system which was installed via PPA, execute the following commands:
$ sudo apt-get install ppa-purge $ sudo ppa-purge ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
If it's not installed using PPA, run the following command to completed remove GIMP:
$ sudo apt purge gimp $ sudo apt clean
Conclusion
Compared to its proprietory counterpart Adobe Photoshop, GIMP is a good example of a free and open-source software delivering powerful features at no cost. Over its last 20 years of existence, it has evolved slowly in terms of complexity and ease of use. Go ahead, install it and have fun working with your images!
