How to install GIMP on Ubuntu 18.04

To install the latest version of GIMP on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS , you first need to add the gimp PPA to your Ubuntu 18.04 LTS system and install it. You can perform the same steps with any Debian-based distribution, including Kubuntu, Linux Mint, and Elementary OS.

GIMP (or GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful free photo editing software, available for GNU/Linux, OS X and Windows. If you're a designer, GIMP offers you a range of sophisticated tools for your creative work. However, you can also add 3rd party plugins to GIMP.
 

1. Some outstanding features of GIMP

- Image enhancements, digital retouching and custom skins.
- Drawing: All drawing tools including Brush, Pencil, Airbrush, Clone.; Incredibly powerful gradient editor and Blend tools; Supports custom Brush and Pattern.

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- Advanced operations: Layers and channels; Undo and Redo operations multiple times; Full support of Alpha channels; Selection tools include rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, freehand.
- File formats: Supports many file formats including bmp, gif, jpeg, mng, pcx, pdf, png, ps, psd, svg, tiff, tga, xpm.; Load, display, convert and save images in multiple formats; Export/import SVG images.
- System: Smart cell-based memory management. As a result, image size is limited only by available disk space.
- Animation: Load and save animations in a convenient layered frame format.
- Extension: Advanced scripting capabilities (Scheme, Python, Perl); More than 100 plugins available.
 

2. Instructions for installing GIMP on Ubuntu

You can install GIMP on Ubuntu using any of the following methods. Open Terminal from the application menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on the keyboard. Run the command set as below to install GIMP on your Ubuntu system.

2.1. Install GIMP Using PPA
You need to add the external apt repository to your system to install GIMP on Ubuntu. After adding the repository, run the following command to install or upgrade GIMP.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
sudo apt update sudo apt install gimp
The above unofficial PPA is maintained by Otto Kesselgulasch. This means you will install the latest version of the GIMP program on Ubuntu 18.04.

2.2. Install GIMP via Snap packages
Similarly, you can also install the latest version of GIMP on Ubuntu via Snap packages.
sudo apt-get install snapd
sudo snap install gimp
 

3. Open the GIMP application

Finally, GIMP has been successfully installed on Ubuntu. You can launch it from Terminal by typing Gimp or clicking Show Application and clicking the GIMP icon.

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After opening GIMP, you will see the software interface.

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To effectively use this software, please refer to the article on photo editing instructions with GIMP here.
 

4. Uninstall GIMP from Ubuntu

If you want to completely remove GIMP from your system, you can use the following command:
sudo apt-get purge gimp gimp-plugin-registry

Finally, run the command below to completely remove any unused files and free up storage space.
sudo apt-get autoremove

GIMP is a great alternative to Photoshop on Linux. Using GIMP, you can edit photos, create drawings, improve image quality, as well as resize photos. So, with just a few simple commands, you can install GIMP on Ubuntu or remove it from the system.

David Pac

Update 16 June 2024