If you’ve ever tried to do serious photo editing on a Chromebook, you’ve probably realized pretty quickly that most web apps just don’t cut it. That’s where GIMP comes in.
GIMP is a powerful, open-source image editor that rivals tools like Adobe Photoshop and yes, you can run it on a Chromebook. In this guide, we’ll walk through the exact steps to install GIMP using the Linux Development Environment on ChromeOS.
How to Install GIMP on a Chromebook
Before we begin, make sure your Chromebook supports Linux apps. Most modern Chromebooks do, but it’s always a good idea to double-check.
Here’s what you’ll need to do in order to install GIMP on a Chromebook:
1. Enable Linux Development Environment
To install GIMP, we first need to enable the Linux Development Environment on your Chromebook. You can easily do this from your Chromebook’s Settings. Here’s how:
1. Open the Settings app on your Chromebook.
2. Scroll down and click on About ChromeOS.
3. Find the Developers section, then locate Linux Development Environment and click Set up.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup. This process installs a Debian-based Linux container on your Chromebook, which allows you to install Linux desktop applications, including GIMP.
2. Installing GIMP
Once Linux is installed, you’re ready to install GIMP on your Chromebook. To do that, follow these steps:
1. Open the Launcher, search for Terminal, and click to launch it.
2. Click on the Penguin option to access the command line.
3. Before installing anything, it’s always a good idea to update your system. Run the following commands one by one to ensure everything is up to date and to prevent compatibility issues later:
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade -y
4. Now comes the main part, installing GIMP. In the Terminal, type the following command:
sudo apt install gimp -y
5. Press Enter, and the system will download and install GIMP along with all the required dependencies.
6. Once done, close the terminal.
How to Use GIMP on Your Chromebook
Once installed, you can open GIMP and use it on your Chromebook without any issues—it works well.
1. Open the Launcher.
2. Go to the Linux apps folder, open it, and click on the GIMP app to launch it.
3. After that, you’re ready to use GIMP to edit your photos.
Note: To access files in your Linux apps on a Chromebook, you need to move or copy the required files to the Linux files folder in the Files app.
If you plan to use GIMP frequently, it’s a good idea to pin it to the shelf. Simply right-click the GIMP icon in the Launcher and select Pin to shelf. This gives you quick access anytime.
Installing GIMP on a Chromebook might sound complicated at first, but once you enable Linux, it’s just a few commands away. From basic edits to advanced image manipulation, GIMP gives your Chromebook a serious creative boost. Honestly, it’s one of those tools that can make you forget you’re even using a Chromebook in the first place.
