Want the full Photoshop experience? Use GIMPhoto, a fork of GIMP with Photoshop's tools and interface built in (fx button and effects in the Layers panel, shape tools in the toolbox, Photoshop's shortcuts and layout), installed next to the official GIMP. gimp-setup adds what a plug-in can to the GIMP you already have.
One-command installer for the complete GIMP ecosystem on Linux: Flatpak GIMP 3, plug-ins, brushes, presets and extra features such as Photoshop-style shortcuts and fully local AI tools.
It works standalone on any distribution with Flatpak. (For a GIMP with Photoshop's tools built in, GIMPhoto is what linux-mint-setup installs.)
Run everything with a single command:
git clone https://github.com/diegochagas/gimp-setup.git && cd gimp-setup && ./setup.shTo preview the actions without changing anything:
./setup.sh --dry-runThe script is idempotent: run it again at any time to add what is missing.
Each run writes a log to logs/.
curl, unzip, jq, git, flatpak and python3 must be available,
and pip (python3-pip) for the numpy, scipy and Pillow of AI Restore
Photo.
No sudo is required — everything installs to Flatpak and the user home.
This installs on top of whatever machine already runs Flatpak, so there's no separate hardware bar beyond what GIMP itself needs:
| Resource | Minimum | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB+ — large images with G'MIC, Resynthesizer and the LinuxBeaver GEGL filters all in play |
| Disk (free space) | ~2 GB | 5 GB+ — GIMP plus all the plug-ins/brushes/presets this script adds |
| CPU | 64-bit CPU | — |
| GPU | None required | — |
The AI plug-ins never run inference inside GIMP: Generative Fill, AI
Remove Selection, AI Restore Photo and AI Object Selection use a
local ComfyUI server running
FLUX.2 klein or Qwen-Image-Edit. That ComfyUI is the one heavy piece (about
42 GB of disk and an NVIDIA GPU; the
examples below were made on a 6 GB laptop GPU),
and this setup does not install it:
local-ai-setup
does, as a comfyui user service that gimp-setup finds by itself. Without
it the AI tools work against any ComfyUI you already run (COMFYUI_URL).
Optional. Copy the example file and fill in your values:
cp config.sh.example config.sh| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
COMFYUI_URL |
ComfyUI server the AI tools use (default: the local comfyui service) |
COMFYUI_START_WITH_GIMP |
no: GIMP does not start and stop the local ComfyUI (default yes) |
The ComfyUI address is written to
~/.config/PhotoGIMP/comfyui-url on the host and inside the
GIMP Flatpak sandbox, where every AI plug-in finds them (see
docs/AI_PLUGINS.md).
config.sh is gitignored. Every variable also falls back to an environment
variable of the same name, so a parent script can export COMFYUI_URL=...
and run ./setup.sh without creating a config.sh.
The script stops if an unhandled command fails. It checks the dependencies,
the internet connection and the Flathub remote, then installs all the
features found in features/, in priority order. Everything the setup
does — including the GIMP install itself — is a feature file.
Every features/*.sh file is a self-contained part of the GIMP ecosystem:
the GIMP install, plug-ins, resources, shortcuts, menu options. New features
are added by dropping a new file into features/, without touching
setup.sh.
A feature file defines:
FEATURE_NAME="My Feature" # Display name for logs and summary
FEATURE_PRIORITY=65 # Execution order (lower runs first;
# optional, default 50)
feature_install() { # The work, using setup.sh helpers:
... # run, print_info, file_exists,
} # install_flatpak_package,
# gimp_profile_dirs, SUMMARY, DRY_RUN...Features must be idempotent and honor --dry-run (use the run helper for
commands and guard direct file writes with DRY_RUN).
| Priority | Feature | What it installs | Docs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | gimp.sh |
Flatpak GIMP + G'MIC + Resynthesizer | GIMP.md |
| 30 | photogimp.sh |
Photoshop-inspired interface and configuration | PHOTOGIMP.md |
| 40 | photoshop-keymap.sh |
Photoshop keyboard shortcuts (shortcutsrc + controllerrc) | PHOTOSHOP_KEYMAP.md |
| 40 | slos-gimpainter.sh |
Painting brushes, dynamics and tool presets | SLOS_GIMPAINTER.md |
| 45 | photoshop-theme.sh |
Photoshop look: theme, pasteboard colour, named dock tabs | PHOTOSHOP_THEME.md |
| 46 | gimp-tab-keys.sh |
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab switch image tabs, also on the canvas (X11 helper) | PHOTOSHOP_KEYMAP.md |
| 50 | linuxbeaver.sh |
LinuxBeaver GEGL effect plug-ins | LINUXBEAVER.md |
| 55 | psd-text.sh |
PSD open/export with editable text both ways (Type layers ⇄ GIMP text) | PSD_TEXT.md |
| 55 | layer-style.sh |
Layer > Layer Style: Photoshop's fx dialog (shadows, stroke, glows, bevel, overlays) | LAYER_STYLE.md |
| 55 | shape-tool.sh |
Photoshop's shape tools (U): rectangle, ellipse, triangle, polygon, line, custom shapes as vector layers | SHAPE_TOOL.md |
| 55 | layer-via.sh |
Layer via Copy / Cut (Ctrl+J / Ctrl+Shift+J): a new layer from the selected area, in place | LAYER_VIA.md |
| 55 | smart-objects.sh |
Layer > Smart Object: Convert / Edit / Replace Contents (link layers) | SMART_OBJECTS.md |
| 60 | ai-plugins.sh |
The four AI plug-ins (fully local) + shared settings | AI_PLUGINS.md |
| 62 | comfyui-nodes.sh |
gimp-setup's own node in the local ComfyUI (Object Selection) | Local AI models |
| 65 | comfyui-with-gimp.sh |
Starts ComfyUI with GIMP, stops it when GIMP closes | AI_PLUGINS.md |
The order matters: GIMP is installed first; PhotoGIMP layers its configuration on top; the Photoshop keymap runs after PhotoGIMP on purpose so its shortcuts win; the AI plug-ins run last so their files survive the configuration overwrites.
GIMP from Flathub with the G'MIC and Resynthesizer plug-ins. The plug-in
branches follow the installed GIMP's major version (Flathub publishes
them as branch 3, not stable). Resynthesizer adds
Filters > Enhance > Heal Selection. See docs/GIMP.md.
PhotoGIMP 3.0: a Photoshop-inspired interface and configuration for Flatpak GIMP. An existing GIMP 3.0 configuration is backed up to a timestamped folder first. See docs/PHOTOGIMP.md.
The SLOS-GIMPainter brush,
dynamics and tool-preset package, registered in GIMP's gimprc. See
docs/SLOS_GIMPAINTER.md.
The LinuxBeaver GEGL effect
collection (Filters > Text Styling, Filters > Render > Fun, ...), with a
manifest so reruns replace stale binaries cleanly. See
docs/LINUXBEAVER.md.
Two layers, installed into every GIMP 3.x profile with timestamped backups (details and customization in docs/PHOTOSHOP_KEYMAP.md):
- Photoshop keymap for GIMP — the community
photoshop-keymap-for-gimp
(
shortcutsrc+controllerrc, pinned to a commit and sanitized of a malformed upstream line). GIMP's shortcuts follow Photoshop's and show next to the menu entries like in Photoshop:Ctrl+Alt+IImage Size,Ctrl+Alt+CCanvas Size,Ctrl+LLevels,Ctrl+EMerge Down... - Keymap Extras — extra bindings for GIMP-only actions, layered on
top through the
PHOTOSHOP_KEYMAP_EXTRASarray on shortcuts nothing else uses:Ctrl+Alt+EFile > Overwrite,Ctrl+Alt+Shift+WFile > Export As andCtrl+Tab/Ctrl+Shift+Tabnext / previous image tab as in Photoshop; on the canvas these need the small X11 helper offeatures/gimp-tab-keys.sh, because GIMP hard-wires Ctrl+Tab there to its layer picker.
A "Photoshop" GIMP theme modelled on Photoshop's medium gray interface
(#535353 panels, darker tab strips, flat borderless icon buttons, Adobe
blue for selection and focus), Photoshop's #282828 pasteboard around the
image, and dock tabs that show their name (Layers, Channels, Paths)
instead of only an icon. See docs/PHOTOSHOP_THEME.md.
Opening a .psd turns its Type layers into GIMP text layers (and Layer
Style strokes and shadows into Text Styling filters) instead of pixels;
exporting to .psd writes GIMP text layers as Type layers Photoshop can
still edit. Text rotated 90° opens as vertical text; tilted or squeezed text
as a smart object, both still editable, and Layer Styles open as editable
Layer Styles.
Needs Node.js on the host. See docs/PSD_TEXT.md.
Layer > Smart Object > Convert to Smart Object / Edit Contents / Replace Contents, on GIMP 3.2's link layers: non-destructive transforms, and saving the contents file updates every layer that shows it. See docs/SMART_OBJECTS.md.
Photoshop's Layer Style dialog (fx): Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options… / Drop Shadow… / Stroke… / …, with Photoshop's settings (angle, distance, spread, size, Use Global Light…), live preview, OK/Cancel as one undo step, Copy / Paste / Clear Layer Style. Every effect is a non-destructive filter, listed in the Layers panel's fx column. See docs/LAYER_STYLE.md.
Photoshop's shape tools behind U (and Tools > Shape Tool…):
Rectangle (corner radius), Ellipse, Triangle, Polygon (sides, star), Line
and Custom Shape (heart, star, arrow, speech bubble, burst, check mark,
lightning, cross), with fill and stroke, previewed live. The shape fills
the current selection (or the middle of the image) and becomes a GIMP 3.2
vector layer: crisp at any size, points editable with the Path tool, U
on it edits it again. See docs/SHAPE_TOOL.md.
GIMP must be closed while this feature runs.
Photoshop's Ctrl+J / Ctrl+Shift+J: with a selection, a new layer with only the selected area, in place (Cut also clears it from the original); without one, Ctrl+J duplicates the layer. See docs/LAYER_VIA.md.
The four AI plug-ins, installed as one feature (details in docs/AI_PLUGINS.md). Everything runs on this machine: no account, no API key, nothing is uploaded.
-
Generative Fill —
Filters > AI > Generative Fill…. Fills the selection from a text prompt; also Image Generator. Vendored patched GIMP AI Plugin on the local ComfyUI models (FLUX.2 klein or Qwen-Image-Edit). -
AI Remove Selection —
Filters > AI > Remove Selection (AI)…. Photoshop-style Remove tool from PhotoGIMP: Quick Mask-paint the object, run, gone. Same two local models. -
AI Restore Photo —
Filters > AI > Restore Photo (AI)…. Repairs a scanned photo print (blotches, stains, scratches, specks, or chemical burns) with the photo-restore method: the model's pixels are kept only where the print was damaged, as a new layer whose mask you can paint. Same two local models. -
AI Object Selection —
Select > Object Selection (AI)andSelect > Subject (AI). Photoshop's Object Selection tool: draw a rough rectangle or lasso around an object, run, and the selection snaps to it (SAM 2.1, local).
The shared settings from config.sh (the server URLs) are written for all
of them, host and Flatpak sandbox alike. Earlier versions also offered
OpenAI, Google Gemini and Stable Diffusion WebUI; those were removed, and
the setup deletes the API keys they had saved.
The AI tools run on a local
ComfyUI server serving
open-weight image models (FLUX.2 klein, Qwen-Image-Edit, SAM 2.1), with no
accounts, credits or limits. This setup does not install it:
local-ai-setup
does (ComfyUI, its GGUF and SAM 2 nodes, the model sets
and a comfyui systemd user service, not enabled at boot). gimp-setup finds
that ComfyUI through the service, so it needs no setting of its own:
features/comfyui-nodes.shadds gimp-setup's ownGimpSetupBBoxnode (assets/comfyui/custom_nodes), used by Object Selection, to it;- the AI tools use the service's address (
COMFYUI_URLoverrides it).
ComfyUI starts and stops with GIMP (features/comfyui-with-gimp.sh):
the GIMP menu entry runs gimp-with-comfyui, which starts the service,
runs GIMP and, once the last GIMP window closes, stops it again, freeing
the GPU memory and the up to ~23 GB of RAM a loaded model (Qwen) holds. A
tool used while ComfyUI is still booting waits for it. A ComfyUI you
started yourself keeps running after GIMP closes.
COMFYUI_START_WITH_GIMP=no turns this off; then start it by hand (GIMP's
Flatpak sandbox cannot), as below.
systemctl --user start comfyui # then open http://127.0.0.1:8188
systemctl --user stop comfyui # frees the GPU and the RAM
systemctl --user status comfyui # is it running?Pick a model in the Remove Selection dialog or in Filters > AI > Settings;
the model files are found by name in what the server has installed. Setup,
timings and limits are in
docs/AI_PLUGINS.md. To use a
ComfyUI you already run instead, set COMFYUI_URL.
In the ComfyUI web interface, open a workflow from Templates (for
example "Qwen Image Edit"), pick the installed model files in the loader
nodes, load an image, write the instruction and run. Results are saved in
the output/ folder of ComfyUI's install.
Scripts can also drive it through its HTTP API, and start the service themselves. That is what comic-skills does to erase text from comic pages without paying for an image API:
INPAINT=qwen COMFYUI_SERVICE=comfyui \
~/Projects/comic-skills/venv/bin/python \
~/Projects/comic-skills/clean-texts/scripts/clean_texts.py "<folder>" --backend localThe examples below were all made locally with these models on a laptop RTX 3050 (6 GB): 12–35 s per edit with FLUX.2 klein, 70–125 s with Qwen-Image-Edit.
Remove Selection (AI) — select the object (red = the Quick Mask selection), run, and the background behind it is rebuilt:
It also removes text or marks printed over a texture, continuing the print's own halftone pattern. What is selected: Auto tries the object method first and switches to the texture method by itself when the fill comes back flat:
Restore Photo (AI) — a scanned print goes in; the model's repair is added as a layer masked to the damage it fixed, the rest of the scan stays exactly as it was. Details and options in docs/AI_PLUGINS.md.
Generative Fill — the prompt replaces what is selected… (prompt: a sleeping orange cat curled up on the bench)
…or adds something new on the real background, kept whole inside the selection (prompt: a shiny golden five-pointed star, both models):
It also continues the picture into a blank border (white, transparent,
or a canvas made bigger): select the blank part and prompt continue the image (or extend the background, continuar a imagem, fill). Details
in docs/AI_PLUGINS.md.
- If GIMP has not been opened before the setup runs, the features that need
an existing GIMP profile are skipped with a warning. Open GIMP once, close
it, and re-run
./setup.sh. - The GEGL plug-in directory must contain only
.sofiles at its top level. Subdirectories or other file types may prevent GIMP from starting. - The script downloads software from third-party projects, so review the feature files before running it.