Import RAW images in GIMP

In Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04 Gimp uses dcraw

sudo apt install dcraw gimp-dcraw

Older versions of Ubuntu.

Importing RAW images is dealt with with the UFRaw plugin. Read all about this plugin on the projects homepage.

You can simply install it using:

sudo apt-get install gimp-ufraw

for the cutting edge version you first need to add a ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:crass/ufraw

From now on start GIMP and load any RAW image like Cr2 from Canon. You will get a screen from where you can tune all kind of settings before the image will be imported in GIMP.

have fun.

Since 2019 Canon has a new RAW fileformat called CR3.

Version 5.8 of Rawtherapee can handle this fileformat.

1. Open a terminal window and run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dhor/myway

2. Enter your password as prompted

3. Install RawTherapee using this command:

sudo apt install rawtherapee

Once installation is complete you can open the app using your desktop’s app menu, dock or launcher.

But there is one caveat. It doens't work with the extention CD3. Once you rename the extention to CR2, Rawtherapee will read the file though. GIMP is not capable of working with these files yet.

The program XNview is able to view and edit these RAW files though. It is free to install

sudo apt install xnview xnconvert

Other FOSS Linux RAW file image processing tools are:

Photivo is a free and open source RAW file editor supporting almost all RAWs and Bitmaps. A plugin is available for GIMP integration, which allows sending your modified photos to GIMP for further retouching and color profiles. Best suited for distortion and geometry correction and adaptive saturation, Photivo is a powerful RAW editor.

To install it use the commands below:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dhor/myway sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install photivo

Digikam is another advanced open source photo management application for Linux which can handle raw files and provides a comprehensive set of editing tools. Prominent features include adjusting colors, cropping and sharpening, curve adjustments, panorama stitching and more.

sudo apt-get install digikam

Darktable

is another open source RAW developer application which allow you to develop RAW images and enhance them. With fully non-destructive editing, Darktable comes with the powerful export system supporting Picasa web album and Flickr uploads and supports exporting RAW images to a low dynamic range (JPEG, PNG, TIFF), 16-bit PPM or TIFF, or linear high dynamic range images.

sudo apt-get install darktable