GIMP More Other Information

Is GIMP a GNOME application?

Not really. It doesn't use the GNOME application framework. The only thing it has in common is GTK+. GIMP can optionally use gnome-vfs, allowing you to load and edit images from remote servers.

Is GTK+ still under the aegis of GIMP? Was it ever?

GTK was developed solely for GIMP, initially. Towards the end of the 0.99 development cycle in 1998, GTK was split from being bundled with GIMP to being a separately available library.

Does GIMP have scanner support?

Yes. It's available on Windows and uses TWAIN, and on GNU/Linux you even have a choice between XSane and gnome-scan — both can be used as GIMP plug-ins.

Do I need an X server to run in batch mode?

Yes, you have to have some form of X server (unless you're running Windows, of course). It needs an X server for image processing, and for font manipulation. However, if you wish to run in batch mode, you can run with a special, frame-buffer-less X server called Xvfb, which doesn't require a graphics card or mess with your screen:

Xvfb :1 -screen 0 10x10x8 -pixdepths 1 & gimp --display :1.0 --no-interface --batch "commands" ... &

The first command starts the special X server; the second is an example of how to invoke GIMP in batch mode. When you are done using GIMP this way for a while, kill off Xvfb so it doesn't waste system resources. If you expect to use GIMP this way a lot, you might want to leave Xvfb running for better response time.

You should check the man page for Xvfb(1) for other options, such as whether to use shared memory.

What kind of system do I need to run GIMP?

Any system capable of running Gnome 2, KDE 3.2, Windows 2000, Mac OS X and later versions should be able to run GIMP. GIMP's biggest appetite is for memory and how much you will need will depend on the how many images you are working with, their resolution, size, the number of layers you use and so on. As a general rule, more is better, but 128MB should be enough to be getting started with.

How do I bind keys to menus for shortcuts?

Make sure that "Use dynamic keyboard shortcuts" option in "Interface" tab of Preferences dialog is enabled, then go to the menu selection you are interested in. Keeping it selected (hold the mouse's menu selection down if necessary), press the key sequence you wish to assign to the menu. It will appear on the right of the menu. The new binding will be saved and used in future GIMP sessions. You can also use "Keyboard Shortcuts" dialog ("Edit->Keyboard Shortcuts") to assign keys to menus and functions.

How do I fill with transparent?

If your image doesn't have an alpha channel, add one with Layers->Add Alpha Channel. Select the area you want to clear (if not the whole image). To change everything of a particular color transparent, pick Select->By Color... and click on the color in the image you want to replace. Then select Edit->Clear. That's it.

Any dithering, blurring, or related effects against the color you replace will be against the original color. This usually requires you to do some form of cleanup of the edge pixels. In cases likely to result in this, change the color to transparent as early as reasonably possible to preclude extra "cleanup" work.