Group: GNU Image Manipulation Program Users

This page is devoted to the GNU Image Manipulation Program) users and activists. GIMP is a free photo editing alternative to proprietary programs like Adobe® Photoshop® and is great for digital image composition, retouching, and authoring. Available on several operating systems including Unix, Windows, and Mac, additional information as well as the source code and binary files can be found at gimp.org[1].

Being free software, GIMP provides users something that Photoshop® and other proprietary software doesn't, and that is the source code. Having the source code available lets users know exactly what is "under the hood" and also allows them to modify the code under the terms of the GNU GPL v2. Benefits of free software, like GIMP, range from the more obvious of quicker turnaround time on bug fixes from a wider community looking at the code, to added-on and improved features in the program that the entire free software community can benefit from.

A perfect example of the benefits of free software with GIMP is GIMPShop[2], which is a modified version of GIMP catered to those preferring an interface closer to that of Adobe® Photoshop®. By having the source code of GIMP freely available, developers are allowed to make such changes, which can then help Photoshop® users make an easier transition to free software like GIMP.