Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad Entry: remove-gimp

• Created: July 1, 2009

• Contributors: Viper550

• Packages affected: gimp

Summary

This specification proposes the removal of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (hereafter The GIMP) from the default installation of Ubuntu.

Release Note

• "The GIMP has been removed from the default installation in order to make room for more features and content to be included in Ubuntu. Basic functionality for image editing provided by The GIMP can be found in some of Ubuntu's other applications, such as F-Spot. The GIMP remains available in the package repository."

Rationale

The GIMP, has never had a interface as "good" as Photoshop. Its multi-window layout and other advanced abilities may seem daunting to newer users, who may only have interests in photography-related functions (which can be pulled off by some of Ubuntu's more user-friendly applications such as F-Spot. Removal of The GIMP may also decrease the file size of future releases, and provide more room for more useful components.

Assumptions

• Most of Ubuntu's casual users do not have the use for such a powerful image editor. If they do need The GIMP, it can easily be installed.
• The functionality of present tools is more appropriate for photography and The GIMP is not absolutely required for these tasks.

Implementation

The GIMP and its dependencies (if not depended on by other applications) will be removed from the package offering on Ubuntu ISO's. The application will not be removed by upgrades to newer versions or be removed from the package repositories.

UI Changes

Gimp should be given at least a prominent entry in the Add/Remove Software tool emphasizing its advanced functionality in comparison to other tools on Ubuntu.

Code Changes

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

Unresolved issues

*How would users, or the community react to such a change?

Pro: - Saves space - Gives The GIMP the credit of being professional software - Can still be easily installed by people who need it, possibly provide shortcuts to installing both this and others, such as Scribus and Inkscape, in the Graphics menu. - Feature creep -

Con: - Sets Ubuntu down to the mediocrity of Microsoft Windows. It is highquality software, and is being hidden from users.

• - People are happy with the completeness that Ubuntu offers.

- People use software in different ways. Nobody uses all features of complex and large software such as, say, The GIMP, but many basic users still know how to use parts of it. - There are UI-changes in The GIMP for version 2.8. More information can be found [http://www.gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-2.7.html|here] and [http://git.gnome.org/browse/gimp/tree/NEWS|here]. - Dropping it just because it is complicated is rubbish. - It will heighten the threshold for GNU/Linux-newbies to use professional image-editing software in GNU/Linux. This is a usability-issue. Scenarios like "I had to go to the software-manager to install The GIMP. Why did they remove it? It came with the distro in previous releases". -

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