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Photo editing on Linux and similar


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I would like to install Linux or Ubuntu on an HP laptop which I want to use for document creation, web browsing and photo handling. Most of the apps software I need is available in the Linux world (Open Office, etc.) but when it comes to photo editing the picture gets fuzzier (:D). Adobe, for example, only offers its products for Windows or Mac. These products can be run in virtual machine emulators such as Wine but I wonder if that is difficult to set up and/or buggy.

 

Does anyone on this forum do their photo editing in Linux or a similar enviornment? If so, can you tell me what products you use, for raw conversion, editing, asset management and screen calibration.

 

I realise I could ask this question on more technical forums but responses there are cluttered by a wide range of different expectations about quality. I need and value the opinions of the serious photographers who frequent this forum, if indeed there is anyone here who has explored the same question.

 

Thanks in advance for your responses ...

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I think GIMP (free) runs on Linux. I have used it on a Mac and it does handle RAW files. Does much of what PS can do but needs to be learn't.

 

Jeff

 

GIMP is in a period of transition as it moves towards 16 bits per colour channel by incorporating the GEGL library. Most of it is still 8 bits per channel which is not sufficient for editing photographic images from RAW files or 48 bit TIFF scans, .e.g,, adjusting curves without getting posterization effects.

 

Have you looked at installing Photoshop under WINE?

 

Nick

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I use the GIMP on Ubuntu. UFRAW works on Ubuntu as well, for importing Raw images.

I have never use anything else, so cannot make a comparison.

I shoot mostly Nikon D60 (APS sensor) and print 8X10's and they are excellent.

 

Maybe the GIMP won't measure up to "fine art" standards. It depends on what you need it to do.

 

It's free . . . give it shot . . . throw it overboard if you don't like it.

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DigiKam in a Kde environment on Opensuse works for me on my desktop. I use it to manage my archive, and minor adjustments.

DigiKam has raw file importer and a lot of image regulations, but due to my laziness and/or lack of time :o the main editing it's still done by Lightroom and Capture NX2 (for NEF files)...

It's an impressive piece of opensource software, IMHO, and I'd give it a try...

Hope this can help you.

Ciao.

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Be aware that color management is essentially non existent on Linux, and also be aware that almost no Linux software can deal with anything having a gamut larger than sRGB. So yes, you can use Linux for photo editing, but there are good reasons why most people don't.

 

Sandy

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Guys, thanks heaps for these links many of which are new to me. While there is some good stuff here, overall I am surprised and disappointed that Linux environments are so light in suitable tools, particularly colour management of the screen and the colour space.

 

The Linux machine would not be my main editing machine but would need to provide basic photo capture, management, adjustments and viewing. I will explore further the tools recommended here but suspect I may have to capitulate and install Windows 7 instead.

 

Thanks again

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Be aware that color management is essentially non existent on Linux

 

"Essentially non existent" may be overstating the case. Argyll does provide some color management functions.

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"Essentially non existent" may be overstating the case. Argyll does provide some color management functions.

 

And the photo editor that is fully color managed - e.g., will load a ProPhoto tagged image and display it on a calibrated wide gamut monitor correctly, and will convert a raw image without clipping to sRGB - is........ :D:D:D:D

 

I use linux, and some of my open source imaging software (pcdtojpeg) runs on it, but the color management situation really is pretty dire. IMHO.

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

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And the photo editor that is fully color managed - e.g., will load a ProPhoto tagged image and display it on a calibrated wide gamut monitor correctly, and will convert a raw image without clipping to sRGB - is........

 

How about Bibble Labs - Professional Photo Workflow Software for a starter?

 

And perhaps http://www.cinepaint.org as an additional teaser?

 

To be honest, I haven't verified that the completely fulfil your requirements, but I would be surprised if they weren't close ;)

 

Regards

Per

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How about Bibble Labs - Professional Photo Workflow Software for a starter?

 

And perhaps http://www.cinepaint.org as an additional teaser?

 

Well, Bibble can, I would admit, although it's commercial software, which I suspect is not what the OP is looking for. However, it's color management uses a manually selected display profile. In principle that's ok, but the problem with that is that color management isn't integrated with the operating system. That leads to all sorts of fragilities. E.g., If another app installs a profile into X11, you get double profiling, without even knowing about it.

 

I don't know Cinepaint at all.

 

The Linux app that's worth looking at, if commercial software is on the list, is LightZone : LightZone

 

Sandy

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...color management isn't integrated with the operating system. That leads to all sorts of fragilities.

 

I fully agree with you on this. While in principle there is colour management for Linux, it is all in bits and pieces. There are some people working on it, like Oyranos - CMS, but then the various apps need to support it to make a uniform environment.

 

It is a bit like GEGL for GIMP: things happen slowly, but we will get there eventually ;)

 

Regards

Per

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