How to make GIMP look and work like Photoshop
The GIMP has long been an important app for those who need to create and edit images, and now there’s a way to make it look and work like Photoshop.
Joey-Elijah Sneddon reports for OMG Ubuntu!:
For FOSS purists it must sound like a heresy, but there is a method in the madness of trying to make Gimp look like Photoshop by installing the GIMP 2.9 Photoshop Tweaks theme.
It certainly helps those switching to open-source tools. If a designer has spent several years using Photoshop they’ll be used to its layout, its app shortcuts, its tools. Skinning GIMP to look (and work) more like Photoshop helps switchers feel more comfortable, and lowers the learning hurdle that (naturally) exists in transitioning.
On a more minor note it may be that some simply prefer the aesthetic of Photoshop, like its monochrome toolbar icons and simple window layout.
Whatever the reasoning behind wanting to adopt the look, DeviantArt user DoctorMo has made it easy. He’s packed up some of best known GIMP Photoshop tweaks into one ready-to-roll bundle.
News about the theme pack spawned a large and passionate thread on the Linux subreddit. Here’s a selection of comments from that discussion:
Itsneverlupus: “I’ve never used Photoshop. But considering the endless complaints about the Gimp UI vs the lack of complains about the Photoshop UI, I think there must be fundamental differences. So I don’t believe a theme pack will bridge them…”
Killallnarcissists: “I have mixed feelings about this. It could ease transition from PS to GIMP, but GIMP already gets heat because people expect it to be a PS clone, this would fuel those expectations while doing very little to actually make it more like PS.”
Inactiveaccount: “I feel GIMP tries to fill the specific role that Photoshop operates in. I find people give it heat because they think it doesn’t fill that roll nearly as well.”
Torontohatesfacts: “When it is being touted as the alternative to Photoshop and when claims are being made of it being able to replace Photoshop, the expectation from Photoshop users is that it would be a clone.
No professional or heavy duty amateur designer or photographer is going to spend 4x the time to do what they can in Photoshop just so they can use GIMP for free.”
Australianaccent: “GIMP doesn’t get heat because people expect it to be a PS clone that’s something people made up to defend a crappy product.
GIMP gets heat because it’s a…product that misses several essential features for a raster editing tool such as something as basic as CMYK colours and nondestructive editing.”
Comrade Jim: “I prefer GIMP over photoshop. The company that I work for makes all the GDs use gimp because they had to pay over $600 on licensing fees to use photoshop+windows (per machine).
Pretty much every job recruiter I see online for GDs lists GIMP right next to photoshop as if they’re interchangeable.
I’m a networked applications programmer my self so I never really have to use it. I feel sorry for people who are forced to use proprietary software.”
Freetux: “SWEET! Damn, it looks beautiful and it is so easy to install this thing. I recommend it to everyone, this guy is amazing.
The github repo is here : https://github.com/doctormo/GimpPs”
Agent Squirrel: “GIMP isn’t Photoshop. Why is this so hard for people to understand, stop expecting it to perform like PS. It’s a different piece of software, noone is complaining that Corel X7 is not Photoshop are they?”
Mgoerlich: “So, what is GIMP then?
Sure, it is not Photoshop, but it’s the same type of application and in my filter bubble its biggest competitor in that field. Everytime when Photoshop is not an option, GIMP is the first thing people will recommend, at least as far as my experience goes. So it’s not that unfair to compare them. The unfair part is to expect a project developed mainly by unpaid contributors in their spare time beeing as professional designed as a project planed and designed by a big company like Adobe. If you take that into account, I’d say it’s pretty much a draw.
I also want to say, that I think that all thoose people bitching about GIMP are just a prove of its success. If nobody would bitch about it, probably nobody would be using it.”
Myworkreddit: “I see nothing wrong with the GIMP UI; it’s six in one, ½ dozen in another.”
Google releases Duo video calling app for Android
Apple has had much success with its FaceTime video calling app, and now Google is following in its footsteps with the Duo video calling app for Android.
The official Google blog has details about Duo:
Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your call will connect, or if your friend is using the same type of device as you are. It’s no wonder that nearly half of us never make video calls on mobile*.
Today, we’re releasing Google Duo — a simple 1-to–1 video calling app available for Android and iOS. Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are.
Duo is simple from start to finish. To get started, all you need is your phone number and you’ll be able to reach people in your phone’s contacts list. No separate account is required, so you can sign up in just a few steps. From there, you can instantly begin a video call with a single tap.
We designed Duo to feel warm and inviting, focused on just you and the person you’re calling. To make calls feel more like an invitation rather than an interruption, we created a feature in Duo called Knock Knock which lets you see live video of your caller before you answer, giving you a sense of what they’re up to and why they want to chat. Knock Knock makes video calling more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up.
The Wall Street Journal reviews Duo
Hot on the heels of the release of the Duo video calling app for Android, the Wall Street Journal has a full review of it. The WSJ appreciated the simplicity of Duo, but wondered if people would want to install yet another messaging app on their Android phones.
Nathan Olivarez-Giles reports for the WSJ:
Duo, which is available for iOS and Android, has a single purpose: one-on-one phone video chats. There are no video filters, no group chats, no texting and no GIFs. Duo’s interface and setup are as bare bones as the app’s purpose. You sign up with just a phone number. On the main screen, there is one option. Tap “video call” to scroll or search your contact list for someone to call. That’s it.
Duo has one feature called “knock knock” that sets the app apart from its competitors. If someone calls you using Duo, a notification shows you a video preview of the caller before you pick up. Seeing a video stream of your friend waiting for you to pick up is fun, but it wasn’t a compelling enough feature for me to try to convince dozens of people I care about to download another app.
Duo likely won’t keep you from juggling multiple apps, either. Being freed of the myriad features packed into other messaging apps was refreshing for a time—when I wanted to make a video call. Without text messaging and group chats, though, Duo just isn’t as useful as its rivals that offer that combination. Google is expected to introduce a “smarter” text-messaging app this summer called Allo for iOS and Android, which together with Duo pretty much make up Hangouts. Google has done this before, breaking up its Drive cloud-storage service into separate apps including Docs and Sheets, for example.
It doesn’t help that Duo can only be used on phones. I use a tablet daily, and I have laptops for work and personal use. If I want to video chat with a colleague at work or a friend while lounging on my couch with my tablet, Duo isn’t an option. Even if I wanted to convert to Duo exclusively, I’d need to keep around Hangouts and FaceTime (or both).
If you absolutely desire a stripped-down video-chat app, and think you can convince others to download one more messaging app, Duo is good enough for a look. Just don’t expect it to replace your other messaging apps.
Did you miss a roundup? Check the Eye On Open home page to get caught up with the latest news about open source and Linux.