How to Install gThumb on Ubuntu

gThumb is an image viewer, editor, browser, and organizer designed for the GNOME desktop environment. With gThumb, you can browse photo libraries using thumbnails, perform basic editing tasks like cropping and color adjustments, organize images into catalogs, and view metadata such as EXIF and IPTC data. Additionally, the application supports common formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, RAW, and WebP, making it suitable for photographers and casual users who need a lightweight yet capable image management solution. For more advanced editing, consider pairing gThumb with a dedicated editor like GIMP.

This guide covers two installation methods: the Ubuntu default repository for a stable, tested version and Flatpak from Flathub for newer releases with sandboxing. By the end, you will have a working gThumb installation ready for browsing, organizing, and editing your images.

Choose Your gThumb Installation Method

Ubuntu offers multiple ways to install gThumb, and each method provides different trade-offs between version freshness, update mechanisms, and system integration. The table below summarizes your options.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Automatic via apt upgrade	Most users who prefer distro-tested packages
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic via flatpak update	Users wanting newer releases with sandboxing

For most users, the APT method is recommended because it provides a stable, well-tested version that integrates seamlessly with your system’s package management. However, choose Flatpak if you specifically need the latest features or prefer sandboxed applications.

Method 1: Install gThumb via APT

Update Package Lists

Before installing any software, first refresh your package lists and apply pending updates. This ensures you install the latest available version and helps avoid dependency conflicts.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install gThumb

Once your system is updated, install gThumb from the Ubuntu repositories with the following command:

sudo apt install gthumb -y

After installation completes, verify that gThumb installed correctly by checking the version:

gthumb --version

gThumb Image Viewer, version 3.12.x

Method 2: Install gThumb via Flatpak

Flatpak provides sandboxed applications with their own dependencies, which allows access to newer versions than what Ubuntu repositories offer. As a result, the Flathub version of gThumb typically receives updates faster than the APT package.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu.

Enable Flathub Repository

First, add the Flathub repository if you have not done so already. Flathub is the primary source for Flatpak applications and hosts the official gThumb package.

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install gThumb from Flathub

With Flathub enabled, install gThumb using the following command:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.gnome.gThumb -y

Once installed, verify the Flatpak version by checking the application info:

flatpak info org.gnome.gThumb

gThumb Image Viewer - View and organize your images

          ID: org.gnome.gThumb
         Ref: app/org.gnome.gThumb/x86_64/stable
      Origin: flathub
     Version: 3.12.8.x

Launch gThumb

After installation, you can launch gThumb using either the terminal or the graphical applications menu. The launch method depends on how you installed the application.

Launch gThumb from Terminal

For APT installations, run the following command to start gThumb:

gthumb

For Flatpak installations, use the Flatpak run command instead:

flatpak run org.gnome.gThumb

Launch gThumb from Applications Menu

Alternatively, you can launch gThumb from your desktop environment’s application menu:

1. Open the Activities overview by clicking the button in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Type “gThumb” in the search bar, or alternatively click Show Applications to browse installed applications.
3. Click the gThumb icon to launch the application.

Manage gThumb

Update gThumb

Regular updates ensure you receive bug fixes and security patches, so the update process depends on your installation method.

Update APT Installation

For APT installations, gThumb updates automatically when you run system updates. However, to update only gThumb specifically, use the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade gthumb

Update Flatpak Installation

For Flatpak installations, update all Flatpak applications including gThumb with the following command:

sudo flatpak update

Remove gThumb

If you no longer need gThumb, you can remove it along with any unused dependencies, and the removal process varies by installation method.

Remove APT Installation

For APT installations, remove gThumb and clean up orphaned dependencies with the following commands:

sudo apt remove gthumb -y && sudo apt autoremove -y

Remove Flatpak Installation

Similarly, for Flatpak installations, remove gThumb using the uninstall command:

sudo flatpak uninstall org.gnome.gThumb -y

Additionally, to remove unused Flatpak runtimes and free up disk space, run:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

Remove User Configuration Files

Warning: The following commands permanently delete gThumb configuration files, catalogs, and cached thumbnails. If you have organized images into catalogs you want to keep, back up ~/.config/gthumb first.

After uninstalling, you can optionally remove user configuration and cache files:

rm -rf ~/.config/gthumb ~/.local/share/gthumb ~/.cache/gthumb

Similarly, for Flatpak installations, the sandboxed data is stored separately:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/org.gnome.gThumb

Final Thoughts

You now have gThumb installed on Ubuntu for viewing, editing, and organizing your image collection. Moreover, the application supports browsing with thumbnails, basic editing like cropping and color adjustments, and catalog organization for managing large photo libraries. Next, consider exploring gThumb’s import feature for transferring images from cameras or its slideshow mode for presentations. For additional image viewing options, you might also explore PhotoQt, which offers a lightweight alternative with keyboard-driven navigation. For more information about gThumb features and development, visit the official GNOME Wiki.