News Freeware image editor GIMP 3.0 arrives after seven years of incubation

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I used GIMP many years ago. It was really more that I needed - although it was my main image editor for several years.

Window 11 Paint now supports layers - so, it meets about 95% of my needs.

Also, Windows 11 Snipping Tool does OCR - so, that keeps me using the Windows 11 tools even more.

I've been using Windows 11 for over a year - and, I still haven't installed Paint.NET.

Windows Media Player is not close to replacing VLC Media Player.

Adobe Reader still doesn't let me stamp my signature on PDF documents - so, I still use an alternative app for just that one thing.
 
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Glad to see Microsoft progressing (Not sarcastic at all), but for those of us who don't use Windows GIMP is an excellent option for image editing/processing/creation.

Ultimately it comes down to what you use (Windows, Linux, macOS, etc) and what options you have, and the more the merrier!
 
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truerock said:
I've been using Windows 11 for over a year - and, I still haven't installed Paint.NET.
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When I'm on Windows, Paint.Net is my go-to. I actually prefer it to Gimp. Since my image editing needs tend to be fairly simple (cropping, curves, rotate, basic filters, text overlay, etc.), they're usually satisfied by Paint.Net. When I have to use Gimp, I often find things are needlessly more cumbersome. That said, I have yet to try Gimp 3.0.
 
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randomizer said:
GIMP is FOSS, but freeware is not the same as FOSS.
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All FOSS is free, but not all free software is FOSS. With FOSS one gets the open source code, and is free to modify it. Users cannot change the code of Freeware (e.g. Acrobat reader) as it is distributed as an executable without access to the sourcecode.
 
oofdragon said:
I just searched GIMP in google playstore and it's not free at all, it charges me R$
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Probably that's just a random person who compiled it for Android and posted it up. When I search for it, the hit I get is from someone called UserLAnd Technologies, which I have 0% confidence has anything to do with its official developers.

Nothing in GPL (GNU Public License) actually prevents you from charging for GPL software, which is another difference between FOSS and freeware. The key thing about GPL is that you must provide the source code to anyone who receives it in binary form, so that they're able to modify it to suit their needs. Also, I'm pretty sure you can't restrict them from distributing it further. The saying you often hear is "Free as in freedom, not free as in beer".
 
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stuff and nonesense said:
Xgimp is available through CNET for free..
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March 23, 2025 - As the saying goes, "To each his own". Personally, I always go directly to the publisher of software. Using a "conduit" website can be problematic. There have been incidents where software offered by certain websites, has been contaminated with unnecessary, and sometime malicious software. I went directly to the Gimp site and downloaded it from there with no problem, and when I started the program up recently. I was prompted to download the new version.
 
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oofdragon said:
I just searched GIMP in google playstore and it's not free at all, it charges me R$
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March 23, 2025 - As the saying goes, "To each his own". Personally, I always go directly to the publisher of software. Using a "conduit" website can be problematic. There have been incidents where software offered by certain websites, has been contaminated with unnecessary, and sometime malicious software. I went directly to the Gimp site and downloaded it from there with no problem, and when I started the program up recently. I was prompted to download the new version. I think to many people go to Apple's, and Microsoft's versions of Google playstore to get free apps and programs. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to go to a "store" to purchase an app or a program, and to be fair, my impression is that they do a fairly good job of rooting out and/or preventing the sale of malware.
 
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bit_user said:
When I'm on Windows, Paint.Net is my go-to. I actually prefer it to Gimp. Since my image editing needs tend to be fairly simple (cropping, curves, rotate, basic filters, text overlay, etc.), they're usually satisfied by Paint.Net. When I have to use Gimp, I often find things are needlessly more cumbersome. That said, I have yet to try Gimp 3.0.
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I encourage you to try it - it does feel less clunky than 2.x was. Note, however, that it remains a powertool : there's a bunch of settings all over the places and it can be overwhelming when you have no need for it.
When you need this advanced stuff, it's nice though.
 
mitch074 said:
I encourage you to try it - it does feel less clunky than 2.x was. Note, however, that it remains a powertool : there's a bunch of settings all over the places and it can be overwhelming when you have no need for it.
When you need this advanced stuff, it's nice though.
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I just checked and it didn't get added to Ubuntu 24.04, so I guess I'll wait another year unless I need to do anything major (in which case, maybe I'll see if there's a snap, flatpak, or suchlike).

Does it have basic shape-drawing tools? I seem to recall one of my turn-offs was that Gimp made you create a path and then stroke it as two separate steps, instead of giving you simple shape-drawing tools like most paint programs.

P.S. Based on your .sig, you and I have similar PC histories. My Linux history went from slackware to Redhat, then OpenSUSE, then Ubuntu. Never messed with Mandrake or pure Debian (except I guess Raspberry Pi has now moved closer to Debian). I think the first time I installed Linux was kernel 0.91 or so, but I didn't start using it seriously until probably about 2.0 or 2.2.

My AMD rig is a 5800X. I also run an Intel i5-12600 and N97.
 
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bit_user said:
I just checked and it didn't get added to Ubuntu 24.04, so I guess I'll wait another year unless I need to do anything major (in which case, maybe I'll see if there's a snap, flatpak, or suchlike).

Does it have basic shape-drawing tools? I seem to recall one of my turn-offs was that Gimp made you create a path and then stroke it as two separate steps, instead of giving you simple shape-drawing tools like most paint programs.

P.S. Based on your .sig, you and I have similar PC histories. My Linux history went from slackware to Redhat, then OpenSUSE, then Ubuntu. Never messed with Mandrake or pure Debian (except I guess Raspberry Pi has now moved closer to Debian). I think the first time I installed Linux was kernel 0.91 or so, but I didn't start using it seriously until probably about 2.0 or 2.2.

My AMD rig is a 5800X. I also run an Intel i5-12600 and N97.
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You can install it on 24.04 (that's what I run) as snap, be warned that the current snaps aren't well optimized : many operations (such as startup) run slow...
Edit : typo on version number
 
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bit_user said:
I just checked and it didn't get added to Ubuntu 24.04, so I guess I'll wait another year unless I need to do anything major (in which case, maybe I'll see if there's a snap, flatpak, or suchlike).

Does it have basic shape-drawing tools? I seem to recall one of my turn-offs was that Gimp made you create a path and then stroke it as two separate steps, instead of giving you simple shape-drawing tools like most paint programs.

P.S. Based on your .sig, you and I have similar PC histories. My Linux history went from slackware to Redhat, then OpenSUSE, then Ubuntu. Never messed with Mandrake or pure Debian (except I guess Raspberry Pi has now moved closer to Debian). I think the first time I installed Linux was kernel 0.91 or so, but I didn't start using it seriously until probably about 2.0 or 2.2.

My AMD rig is a 5800X. I also run an Intel i5-12600 and N97.
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Flatpack is available from the GIMP website..
 
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