GIMP 3.0 and Python Plug-ins

I have been trying to use GIMP more to try to break my dependence on Photoshop and one of the ways I use it is to create Script-Fu scripts to automate some processes. I recently updated GIMP to the newest version, 3.0 and when I did that, none of my scripts worked. After trying several things, nothing seemed to work, then I read 3.0 was a total rework to GTK3 and Script_Fu was sunset in favor of Python. So no problem, I am pretty good at Python so I started transferring my scripts to Python. They still were not showing up.

After a few hours of this, I finally stumbled on the fact Python Scripts do not work if you loaded GIMP via SNAP.

FFS.

I had to uninstall and reinstall with Flatpak to get it to work.

It’s crap like this that drives me nuts with Linux. Regardless, if you use GIMP and you use custom plug ins, as of this posting, Python scripting does not work with SNAP installs.

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IF avoidance of SNAP is desirable, Debian package is available here.

Alternate approach is offered by FOSTips:

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As it turns out, Ubuntu has not loaded all the ?repositories? for GIMP 3.0 so I just went back to 2.10 for now and yes, I bypassed Flatpak and SNAP to install the older version.

What a time suck.

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Depending on your use case; I find Krita is great on the drawing/illustrating side of things. Its not too hard to hook it up to all the wonders of Python (see use of external pip libraries in Python plugins - #22 by stephematician - Plugins Development - Krita Artists)

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I use Krita, but I specialize in image manipulation and bulk conversions and have never really been very good at vector art. I have a script I have written to apply a variety of filters to an entire folder of images. It is easy to do this in Photoshop, but not GIMP. Regardless, I can do it with the script pretty easily and I can build a lot of custom filters so it does work.

This is one example of linux making things difficult because certain features in the newest version of GIMP doesn’t work in Ubuntu yet.

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Just out of curiosity: have you considered imagemagick as a toolset for the purpose?

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I do use imagemagick for conversions. I have a few bash scripts I use to manage those. I am, in fact, running one right now!

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How were you able to go back to 2.10? 3.0 has been a real pain with all of the bugs and the way they changed many of basic functions (like paste of all things).

I’m trying to figure out how to install the older version.

Yeah, Krita is a different animal especially when wanting to do precise pixel manipulation.

If you load through SNAP or Flatpak you will only get 3.0. Just do

sudo apt install gimp

And that will install the older version. 3.0 is apparently a complete rework using gtk3 while 2.10 is gtk2 and since Ubuntu is not updated with 3.0 repositories, it only has the 2.10. so a sudo install only installs the old version.

I think I am saying that correctly… still kinda new to linux.

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On Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (and flavours) gimp will be version 2.10.36 via the Ubuntu (universe) repositories.

On 25.04, the version will be 3.0.2.

For most components the version is frozen within an LTS. The updates that a package might get are security and bug-fixes that are deemed significant enough to 'backport' to the selected (frozen) version.

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I think you identified my confusion. One of my laptops has UM 25.04 and I couldn’t get GIMP 2.10 on it with apt install.

Thanks, all.

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Makes sense as I am on LTS.

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