Slashdot Mirror
MacGimp Reviewed, Available For Easy Download
Kelly McNeill writes "Now that a native X Window system (X11) comes as standard equipment on OS X Panther, osViews' Kelly McNeill thought that now might be the right time to review the latest (stable) version of of the GNU Image Manipulation Program -- version 1.2.5. Gimp reviews in the past have typically either been written from a non-technical perspective -- authored by graphic artists or by software developers -- having little understanding of the needs of graphic designers. Kelly McNeill is a self-proclaimed tech geek and a working graphic artist, which makes the review all the more interesting." And Durin_Deathless writes "A new open source company, Archei LLC , is sponsoring free downloads of MacGIMP. You can download here(1)(officially) or here(2) (no personal info needed). You could also use Fink to get GIMP, but if GIMP is all want, here you go."
the link to download macgimp without registering takes you to a webpage that links to the registration form.
A story about GIMP? As if Macs didn't get enough trolls equating operating system choice to "deviant" sexual preferences...
From the article:
>After thinking about it however, I realized that these
>complaints were mis-directed. Clipboard data is not an
>application-specific function. Therefore, the problem is
>not something specific to The Gimp, but rather to X11.
That it isn't GIMP's problem doesn't keep it from being, well, a problem with GIMP.
Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
They also have WinGIMP, which is basically GIMP for Windows. The only difference is you are overpriced for WinGIMP, while GIMP for Windows is free. Do I hear a Microsoft-like plan here (aka ripping off users by making them buy overpriced crud) ?
This signature was left intentionally blank.
Since the original link did not appear to work, here are a couple more that might:
MacGimp
WinGimp
About a month ago, I managed to build the GIMP on a Powerbook G4 with Jaguar. Then I installed it on a G3 iMac, with a lot of effort, mostly running the app over and over, adding missing libs until finally it ran, with some warnings but it runs ok, with X11 beta.
BR Oh, and all this without Fink... well, the day I install Panther I will give this MacGIMP a try, or install Fink and stop wasting time.
Go hug some trees.
"My guess is that it is not yet ready for 10.3" Interesting, MacGIMP seems to work just fine, even with very large images, on my TiBook 550 running 10.3.1.
Cole's Axiom: The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant. The population is growing.
umm, not necessarily saying that selling GPL software = profit-mongering, it just seems to me in this case that $50/item for just building someone else's software seems a little steep.
The 1.2 series is so crusty feeling compared to 1.3. Really, 1.3 is like a whole new GIMP.
It's the latest release too (1.2.5) which seems uncommon in Win ports of *nix software.
I wanted to post this on macgimp if it wasn't for that registration thingy.
/opt/local/bin With this file located select it and do a get info. Go to Ownership & permissions. Make sure the details are showing and select the current user for the owner. This should prompt you for the administrative password. Enter it and click ok.
If you want to launch gimp like a regular program follow these simple steps after having it installed were you can at the very least run it from a terminal command line.
#1 go to find (command f) and search for gimp. Locate the file named gimp with a parent of bin. it should reside in
#2 double click the application gimp. Select choose application. Find your X11 application and click ok. It will then tell you not enough information is available and ask if you would like to update the program click update.
#3 after gimp launches close out of it and shut X11 down.
#4 get info on gimp again and change the owner back to system. Close the get info box.
#5 make an alias to gimp by selecting the icon and pressing command+option while dragging the alias to its new home.
You can now close out of all the windows your new alias is now a launcher for gimp. YMMV on this as I just decided to try it out being a Mac user for so long I just figured this was the way it should be done and low and behold it worked without a hitch. System was 10.3 with the latest updates for both X11 and the security updates from apple. In addition you can add it to the dock but because it is a file not an application you have to place it to the side of the solid black line the trash can is on.
The thing to realize is that a lot of the things missing from Photoshop that are easier in other programs are the things that Photoshop users have learned to work around while still remaining in Photoshop, frequently ignoring upgrades to stay with a version familiar to them.
Photoshop is a lot like Autocad - once you get used to it functioning a certain way and have customized it, there's no need to upgrade just because Adobe says so. An upgrade may add some new features, but if you've learned quick workarounds, why bother?
The same with Gimp - I'm familiar with Photoshop, I know how to get the things done I need to do - why bother switching programs? The extra frustration that comes with learning a new way of doing the same old things doesn't justify the change.
To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
It's in Fink. It can't get much easier than that.
This MacGIMP Launcher script started it fine for me. Of course, I found this after I created the /opt/local/bin/gimp link in the X11 applications menu.
GINP Is Not Photoshop
1. So port GTK to native MacOSX. Too much effort? Then it's effort or a waste of memory. I choose to "waste" memory.
2. GTK doesn't look like anything. You have issues with the default theme. Go get a nice Aqua theme and enjoy your gooey colors.
3. You're right, file management in GTK apps does suck. GTK2 (which GIMP 1.3 uses) will be fixing this real soon now(tm).
I want my Cowboyneal
When was the last time any of the teenage trolls here actually had to shell out money for Photoshop and not just download it from a warez site? If their credit card statement would suddenly sport a 500 pound sterling hole, they would probably think twice about the benefits of the GIMP.
Well done, guys.
Which of course is a carbon app..
I use Gimp on a Linux Box (because there is no Photoshop).
Did anyone try to save an image as jpeg? The quality is arghhh.
I really prefer to reboot into Windows or use my Mac with Photoshop.
I'm really doing a lot with open source software. Some programs are great (jedit). But I fear the arrival of the day when such great companies like BareBones, Adobe or Metrowerks have to close their gates (hehe) and we all remain only with this free stuff.
The user friendliness if 98% of these things is very bad. Good only for people, who have fun finding out how things work. NOT for professionals who need to use programs to do their work.
Gimp is no exception IMO.
As a scientist, I can justify the purchase of one or more macs -- with a straight face -- because of X11. That't the only way I can get the software I need up and running now (although I needed it yesterday).
X11 may not be beautiful, but face it, developers of specialized software rooted in legacy code aren't going to turn into sleek, fashionable Cocoa-only coders for the love of Steve. Similarly, the Gimp folks aren't going to neglect their Linux and Windows audience to concentrate on Objective C.
Apple embraced Open GL, Perl, Python, Java, and nobody complained. Say hello to X11.
Memory is cheap -- software development isn't.
I installed Gimp using fink and fink commander (could not have been any easier). I run it on my Jaguar iMac using the latest pre-Panther beta of X11.
My only beef with it (and its really an X11 thing) is that when you switch from one pallette to another (which are different X11 windows) you have to click once to activate the window and then click again to select your tool (or whatever). It does not really work like a seamless application, even though it is.
You just described my use of Photoshop to a T. Adobe updates it too frequently and won't let you skip a version for upgrades like Macromedia does, so I've just been sticking with 6.0. It's the only Classic app I use anymore, but it still does what I need (photo manipulation), so why upgrade? For non-photo stuff I have Fireworks and Freehand.
Still, I think I may have to try out the GIMP after I upgrade to Panther.
Your fantasies contain the seeds of important concepts.
OmniGrafflee
d ressBook
.Net pretty hard which is a similar type of transition.
OmniOutliner
OmniWeb
Camino
Creat
PStill
Formac TiVeRon
Keynote
Quicktime Broadcaster
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
Freedom Force
Oni
Quake III Arena
Heavy Metal FAKK2
Tons of apps included in Mac OS X:
Safari
Mail
iPhoto
iMovie
iCal
iChat
Ad
many more
Major apps that used to have Cocoa/NeXTstep/OPENSTEP ports:
Mathematica
Adobe Illustrator
Macromedia Freehand
SAS
WordPerfect
Improv
Major 3rd party developers have not embraced Cocoa as readily mainly because you can't target Mac OS 9 with Cocoa. Many large developers only recently decided to drop Mac OS 9 development. Plus, the initial versions of Mac OS X's compiler toolchain dropped Objective-C++ support (added back into Jaguar). That made it unsavory to do Cocoa front-end ports to C++ backends and now that it is back, it takes time for developers to discover, train, write, and ship.
It is important for Apple and the platform for people to seriously move to the new API sets - Microsoft is selling
Photoshop is a lot like Autocad - once you get used to it functioning a certain way and have customized it, there's no need to upgrade just because Adobe says so. An upgrade may add some new features, but if you've learned quick workarounds, why bother?
That's a good reason WHY we need the GIMP. If you need a set of features, and you have them, why should you have to get on the Adobe upgrade train?
Another reason for open source solutions: Just look at what Adobe is doing with Illustrator; Ill. 9 will balk at opening an EPS created in ILL. 10, even if there's no technical reason for it. Let's face it--Adobe is as bad as Microsoft.
One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
Using GIMP 1.2 may expose you to transmission of the dreaded "Debian Syndrome", a severe neurosis which is evidenced by the refusal to declare anything less then half a decade out of date as "stable".
"Neque enim lex est aequior ulla, quam necis artifices arte perire sua."
Sure, but can you name any CocoaPuffs applications? Huh Huh? No CocoaPuffs applications?
I hate managing so many individual windows. Until this changes, I will have to avoid the gimp. I prefer a single window with everthing in it ( that can be hidden on command). Otherwise, when I do web graphics ( usually my reason for gimp ). Normally, I would need one browser window open, one text editor open for html, and 15 gimp windows open, it's just not my cup of tea.
Despite It's downfalls, I have to agree that a lot of hard work has gone in to the gimp, and it is an excellet tool. I just prefer a different UI style.
True, if you have a gig or so to spare for a redundant set of utilities, libraries and build tools - like many Mac users, I *only* want Gimp - anything else I need (like color ls) I'll compile myself without fink.
Of course, it seems that Apple has removed the version of X11 for pre-Panther OS X computers, so you'll either have to compile it yourself or buy Panther.
X11 does not come as part of Panther by default. It's an optional install, just like it was for Jaguar.
Photo editing without color matching? I'll stick to my $30 Photoshop Elements, thanks.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Um, I don't think that is true...I just upgraded from Photoshop 5.5 to 7 directly from Adobe.
YMMV, of course.
This is not an official Fugazi sig.
Sorry, but it's just totally lame with X and the GTK. If Moz can give us Cocoa (Camino), so can GIMP.
'Steve Jobs said the X Window System is brain-damaged and will disappear in two years. He got it half-right.'
-- Dennis Ritchie
Moz has a whole cross platform GUI thing, which GTK doesn't. Moz can as a result do a lot of tricks GTK can't.
But like I said, find a nice Aqua GTK theme, and boom: GIMP looks native.
I want my Cowboyneal
Of course you can quote me, my friend!
Interesting. They wouldn't let me upgrade from 5.0 directly to 6.0. I'll have to see if I can go from 6 to 8 now that that's out.
Your fantasies contain the seeds of important concepts.