1GIMP(1) GIMP Manual Pages GIMP(1)
2
6 gimp - an image manipulation and paint program.
7
11 gimp [-h] [--help] [--help-all] [--help-gtk] [-v] [--version] [--li‐
12 cense] [--verbose] [-n] [--new-instance] [-a] [--as-new] [-i] [--no-in‐
13 terface] [-d] [--no-data] [-f] [--no-fonts] [-s] [--no-splash]
14 [--no-shm] [--no-cpu-accel] [--display display] [--session <name>] [-g]
15 [--gimprc <gimprc>] [--system-gimprc <gimprc>] [--dump-gimprc] [--con‐
16 sole-messages] [--debug-handlers] [--stack-trace-mode <mode>]
17 [--pdb-compat-mode <mode>] [--batch-interpreter <procedure>] [-b]
18 [--batch <command>] [filename] ...
19
23 GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is used to edit and ma‐
24 nipulate images. It can load and save a variety of image formats and
25 can be used to convert between formats.
26 GIMP can also be used as a paint program. It features a set of drawing
28 and painting tools such as airbrush, clone, pencil, and paint brush.
29 Painting and drawing tools can be applied to an image with a variety of
30 paint modes. It also offers an extensive array of selection tools like
31 rectangle, ellipse, fuzzy select, bezier select, intelligent scissors,
32 and select by color.
33 GIMP offers a variety of plug-ins that perform a variety of image ma‐
35 nipulations. Examples include bumpmap, edge detect, gaussian blur, and
36 many others. In addition, GIMP has several scripting extensions which
37 allow for advanced non-interactive processing and creation of images.
38 GIMP ships with a second binary called gimp-console. This binary is a
40 console-only version and behaves as if gimp was called with the
41 --no-interface command-line option.
42 On platforms with the D-Bus message bus system, GIMP will by default
44 check if an instance is already running in this user session. If it de‐
45 tects that, it will pass all filenames given on the command-line to the
46 already running GIMP instance and quit.
47
51 GIMP accepts the following options:
52 -h, --help
54 Show GIMP command-line options.
55 --help-all
57 Show all command-line options.
58 --help-gtk
60 Show GTK+ command-line options.
61 --help-gegl
63 Show GEGL command-line options.
64 -v, --version
66 Output version information and exit. When combined with the
67 --verbose option, version information about libraries used by
68 GIMP is shown as well.
69 --license
71 Output license information and exit.
72 --verbose
74 Be verbose and create information on standard output.
75 -n, --new-instance
77 Do not attempt to reuse an already running GIMP instance. Al‐
78 ways start a new one.
79 -a, --as-new
81 Open filenames passed on the command-line as new images, don't
82 set the filename on them.
83 -i, --no-interface
85 Run without a user interface.
86 -d, --no-data
88 Do not load patterns, gradients, palettes, or brushes. Often
89 useful in non-interactive situations where startup time is to
90 be minimized.
91 -f, --no-fonts
93 Do not load any fonts. No text functionality will be available
94 if this option is used.
95 --display display
97 Use the designated X display.
98 -s, --no-splash
100 Do not show the splash screen.
101 --no-shm
103 Do not use shared memory between GIMP and its plug-ins. In‐
104 stead of using shared memory, GIMP will send the data via pipe.
105 This will result in slower performance than using shared mem‐
106 ory.
107 --no-cpu-accel
109 Do not use CPU accelerations such as MMX or SSE even if GIMP
110 detects that your CPU provides this functionality.
111 --session <name>
113 Use a different sessionrc for this GIMP session. The given ses‐
114 sion name is appended to the default sessionrc filename.
115 -g, --gimprc <gimprc>
117 Use an alternative gimprc instead of the default one. Useful in
118 cases where plug-in paths or machine specs may be different.
119 --system-gimprc <gimprc>
121 Use an alternate system gimprc file.
122 --dump-gimprc
124 Output a gimprc file with default settings.
125 --debug-handlers
127 Enable debugging signal handlers.
128 -c, --console-messages
130 Do not popup dialog boxes on errors or warnings. Print the mes‐
131 sages on the console instead.
132 --stack-trace-mode {never|query|always}
134 If a stack-trace should be generated in case of fatal signals.
135 --pdb-compat-mode {off|on|warn}
137 If the PDB should provide aliases for deprecated functions.
138 --batch-interpreter <procedure>
140 Specifies the procedure to use to process batch events. The de‐
141 fault is to let Script-Fu evaluate the commands.
142 -b, --batch <command>
144 Execute <command> non-interactively. This option may appear
145 multiple times. The <command> is passed to the batch inter‐
146 preter. When <command> is - the commands are read from standard
147 input.
148
152 GIMP respects a number of environment variables.
153 DISPLAY to get the default host and display number.
155 GIMP2_DIRECTORY
157 to get the name of the personal GIMP directory. If unset
158 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10 is used. If this is an absolute
159 path, it is used as is. If it is a relative path, it is taken
160 to be a subdirectory of $XDG_CONFIG_HOME.
161 GIMP2_DATADIR
163 to get the base location for data files such as brushes and
164 patterns. If unset /usr/share/gimp/2.0 is used.
165 GIMP2_LOCALEDIR
167 to get the base location for translations. If unset
168 /usr/share/locale is used.
169 GIMP2_PLUGINDIR
171 to get the base location for plug-ins and modules. If unset
172 /usr/lib64/gimp/2.0 is used.
173 GIMP2_SYSCONFDIR
175 to get the location of configuration files. If unset
176 /etc/gimp/2.0 is used.
177 GIMP2_CACHEDIR
179 to get the location for caches files. If unset the system de‐
180 fault for per-user cached files is used.
181 GIMP2_TEMPDIR
183 to get the location of temporary files. If unset the system de‐
184 fault for temporary files is used.
185 On Linux GIMP can be compiled with support for binary relocati‐
187 bility. This will cause data, plug-ins and configuration files
188 to be searched relative to the location of the gimp executable
189 file unless overridden by the environment variables mentioned
190 above.
191
195 GIMP's data files are stored in /usr/share/gimp/2.0, where ${dataroot‐
196 dir} is set on install, but is typically /usr/share. GIMP's system-wide
197 configuration files are stored in /etc/gimp/2.0, where ${prefix} is
198 typically /usr.
199 Most GIMP configuration is read in from the user's init file, $XDG_CON‐
201 FIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gimprc. The system wide equivalent is in
202 /etc/gimp/2.0/gimprc. The system wide file is parsed first and the user
203 gimprc can override the system settings. /etc/gimp/2.0/gimprc_user is
204 the default gimprc placed in users' home directories the first time
205 GIMP is run.
206 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/devicerc - holds settings for input devices
208 together with the tool, colors, brush, pattern and gradient associated
209 to that device.
210 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gtkrc - users set of GIMP-specific GTK+ con‐
212 fig settings. Options such as widget color and fonts sizes can be set
213 here.
214 /etc/gimp/2.0/gtkrc - system wide default set of GIMP-specific GTK+
216 config settings.
217 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/menurc - user's set of keybindings.
219 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/parasiterc - Stores all persistent GIMP par‐
221 asites. This file will be rewritten every time you quit GIMP.
222 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/sessionrc - This file takes session-specific
224 info (that is info, you want to keep between two GIMP sessions). You
225 are not supposed to edit it manually, but of course you can do. This
226 file will be entirely rewritten every time you quit GIMP. If this file
227 isn't found, defaults are used.
228 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/templaterc - Image templates are kept in
230 this file. New images can conveniently created from these templates. If
231 this file isn't found, defaults are used.
232 /etc/gimp/2.0/unitrc - default user unit database. It contains the unit
234 definitions for centimeters, meters, feet, yards, typographic points
235 and typographic picas and is placed in users home directories the first
236 time GIMP is ran. If this file isn't found, defaults are used.
237 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/unitrc - This file contains your user unit
239 database. You can modify this list with the unit editor. You are not
240 supposed to edit it manually, but of course you can do. This file will
241 be entirely rewritten every time you quit GIMP.
242 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/plug-ins - location of user installed plug-
244 ins.
245 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/pluginrc - plug-in initialization values are
247 stored here. This file is parsed on startup and regenerated if need be.
248 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/modules - location of user installed mod‐
250 ules.
251 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/tmp - default location that GIMP uses as
253 temporary space.
254 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/brushes - system wide brush files.
256 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/brushes - user created and installed brush
258 files. These files are in the .gbr, .gih or .vbr file formats.
259 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/curves - Curve profiles and presets as saved
261 from the Curves tool.
262 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gimpressionist - Presets and user created
264 brushes and papers are stored here.
265 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/levels - Level profiles and presets as saved
267 from the Levels tool.
268 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/palettes - the system wide palette files.
270 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/palettes - user created and modified palette
272 files. This files are in the .gpl format.
273 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/patterns - basic set of patterns for use in GIMP.
275 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/patterns - user created and installed gimp
277 pattern files. This files are in the .pat format.
278 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/gradients - standard system wide set of gradient
280 files.
281 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gradients - user created and installed gra‐
283 dient files.
284 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/scripts - system wide directory of scripts used in
286 Script-Fu and other scripting extensions.
287 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/scripts - user created and installed
289 scripts.
290 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/gflares - system wide directory used by the gflare
292 plug-in.
293 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gflares - user created and installed gflare
295 files.
296 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/gfig - system wide directory used by the gfig plug-
298 in.
299 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gfig - user created and installed gfig
301 files.
302 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/images/gimp-splash.png - the default image used for
304 the GIMP splash screen.
305 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/images/gimp-logo.png - image used in the GIMP about
307 dialog.
308 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/tips/gimp-tips.xml - tips as displayed in the "Tip
310 of the Day" dialog box.
311
315 GIMP comes with a default image for the splash screen but it allows
316 system administrators and users to customize the splash screen by pro‐
317 viding other images. The image to be used with the splash screen is
318 chosen as follows:
319 1. GIMP tries to load a random splash screen from the directory
322 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/splashes.
323 2. It then falls back to using $XDG_CON‐
325 FIG_HOME/GIMP/2.10/gimp-splash.png.
326 3. If the user didn't install any custom splash images, a random
328 image is picked from /usr/share/gimp/2.0/splashes.
329 4. As a last resort, GIMP uses the default splash image located at
331 /usr/share/gimp/2.0/images/gimp-splash.png.
332
336 Any bugs found should be reported to the online bug-tracking system
337 available on the web at https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/issues. Be‐
338 fore reporting bugs, please check to see if the bug has already been
339 reported.
340 When reporting GIMP bugs, it is important to include a reliable way to
342 reproduce the bug, version number of GIMP (and probably GTK+), OS name
343 and version, and any relevant hardware specs. If a bug is causing a
344 crash, it is very useful if a stack trace can be provided. And of
345 course, patches to rectify the bug are even better.
346
350 The canonical place to find GIMP info is at https://www.gimp.org/.
351 Here you can find links to just about many other GIMP sites, tutorials,
352 data sets, mailing list archives, and more.
353 There is also a GIMP User Manual available at https://docs.gimp.org/
355 that goes into much more detail about the interactive use of GIMP.
356 The latest versions of GIMP and the GTK+ libs are always available at
358 https://download.gimp.org/.
359
363 Spencer Kimball, Peter Mattis and the GIMP Development Team.
364 With patches, fixes, plug-ins, extensions, scripts, translations, docu‐
366 mentation and more from lots and lots of people all over the world.
367
371 gimprc(5), gimptool(1),
372Version 2.10.30 March 23 2008 GIMP(1)