Alternatives to the GIMP

[p.brown181]

I'm reading the book "Ultimate Guide to Raspberry Pi" by Kevin Partner of PC Pro, because I realised that I had no real plan about doing any programming on my Pi and I've been sidetracked into mainly using XBMC.

This book told me to install Geany and the GIMP, so I did. I loaded the Python games code and edited the cat animation. Unfortunately, I already knew from years ago that the GIMP is a very complicated, difficult to use program. I can't use it and don't really want to. I wonder what other, more simple, graphics or paint programs I can install on my Pi which would enable me to create graphics for games. I also use Ubuntu Linux on my laptop, where I can select graphics programs and install them from Ubuntu Software Centre, but I doubt if all these programs are available for Raspbian and I'm not sure how to install them.

Apart from the above, I have noticed that in my installation of Raspbian which I've installed Geany and the GIMP onto, the bottom of my terminal window, as well as the pre installed Python games screens are often off the bottom of my screen and large parts of the GIMP windows are also off the screen. I can fix the terminal window with one click, but not the games screens or the GIMP. What should I do?

[fruitoftheloom]

I'm reading the book "Ultimate Guide to Raspberry Pi" by Kevin Partner of PC Pro, because I realised that I had no real plan about doing any programming on my Pi and I've been sidetracked into mainly using XBMC.

This book told me to install Geany and the GIMP, so I did. I loaded the Python games code and edited the cat animation. Unfortunately, I already knew from years ago that the GIMP is a very complicated, difficult to use program. I can't use it and don't really want to. I wonder what other, more simple, graphics or paint programs I can install on my Pi which would enable me to create graphics for games. I also use Ubuntu Linux on my laptop, where I can select graphics programs and install them from Ubuntu Software Centre, but I doubt if all these programs are available for Raspbian and I'm not sure how to install them.

Apart from the above, I have noticed that in my installation of Raspbian which I've installed Geany and the GIMP onto, the bottom of my terminal window, as well as the pre installed Python games screens are often off the bottom of my screen and large parts of the GIMP windows are also off the screen. I can fix the terminal window with one click, but not the games screens or the GIMP. What should I do?

You could take a look at Pinta, it is in the Raspbian Wheezy Repository http://pinta-project.com

[FTrevorGowen]

I've used xpaint and mtpaint (also on Ubuntu) for creating basic graphics images for a 128 x 64 display (and also 16 x 16 "graphical fonts"). A quick search via the synaptic installer showed that both of those are available for the Pi (I've currently got xpaint installed), together with gnome-paint, gpaint and several others (with "paint" in their name or description). I guess it depends on what you need to do and what format you want the output to be in as to which of the above would be useful.
Trev.

[BMS Doug]

I already knew from years ago that the GIMP is a very complicated, difficult to use program. I can't use it and don't really want to.

I'm glad it's not just just me, I use GIMP to open images files that I can't otherwise open, then export to bitmap so I can edit them with paint.

Every time I think "I should learn to use GIMP better" then I realise I don't have time and just carry on with paint.

[DougieLawson]

I'm glad it's not just just me, I use GIMP to open images files that I can't otherwise open, then export to bitmap so I can edit them with paint.

Why do that? You can convert them with imagemagick without the pain of stoking up a GUI.

[p.brown181]

Thanks for the suggestions about pinta and the various programs with paint in their title. I'll try to install all of them. I suppose I'd have to type...

sudo apt-get install pinta

or

sudo apt-get install xpaint

etc.

Of course, I don't know how to search for software which is available for the Pi. How can I do "a quick search via the Synaptic installer"?

The GIMP seems like a nasty, very user unfriendly piece of software with a business like or scientific attitude to doing graphics, quite like Photoshop. I think it's designed for photo editing, not for creating graphics, but is practically unusable anyway. I think what's needed is something as much as possible like Deluxe Paint. I don't think the software GrafX2 is much like Deluxe Paint, though.

[ghans]

The usual

Code: Select all

apt-cache search INSERT SEARCHTERMS HERE

works nicely.

Synaptic is supposedly easier to use than plain apt , but you have to use apt once more to get it :

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synaptic

Start Synaptic from the GUI (startx) and there should be a little search box right on top of the list of available programs.

ghans

[JoeDaStudd]

When was the last time you used GIMP?
Version 2.8 and later moved to a single window mode which is much easier to use and manage.
If you last used 2.6 then I would recommend you try 2.8 before looking for an alternative as it got much easier to use.

[joan]

...
Of course, I don't know how to search for software which is available for the Pi. How can I do "a quick search via the Synaptic installer"?
...

To search for software packages a good start point would be https://packages.debian.org/stable/

You should be able to home in to the type of software which interests you.

Any package in Debian (the source for Raspbian) is likely to be in Raspbian.

Remember to only download packages from a binary compatible archive, For most people that will be the Raspbian archive. Only use the Debian archive if you are using the Debian soft-float distribution.

[p.brown181]

I've found a list of what seems to be all the packages available for Raspbian on http://www.raspberryconnect.com/raspbian-packages-list , but a lot of it is add ons for programs also listed on there. There's no really detailed descriptions or screenshots for any of the software, just a few words covering each one.

I last used or tried to use the GIMP last week, just after downloading it, so I suppose it must be the latest version. It looked just the same as always, although parts of it were off the screen this time. I thought I should try to use it again, then I ended up drawing freehand in a thick black brush and it turned out like a squashed Φ character, so then I thought "Sod this! I want Deluxe Paint!" and closed the program. I hope this answers your question.

[ghans]

Synaptic should provide detailed information , and perhaps even screenshots.

ghans