Gimp and raw images no-go in Mepis 6.5 beta7

I just tried both plugins, and both work fine for me in beta 7 (open my raw files). I used .mrw files from a Maxxum 5D. I can test other types if you like (I've got some from a few different cameras scattered around on my drives).

I tried the gimp-dcraw plugin first and it worked. I then intalled the gimp-ufraw plugin and it opened up a raw file fine from within the Gimp into it also (different screen for the ufraw plugin of course).

Did these plugins work for you before beta 7?

Keep in mind that the plug=ins in the Ubuntu Dapper repositories for converting raw files are pretty darn ancient as digital camera related stuff goes (new camera models are added often and the raw files usually change between camera models, even if the file extension is the same).

So, if you have a newer camera model, it may not be supported yet. For example, that ufraw-gimp plugin is based on a version that's from 2005, and it was using code from a version of dcraw.c that's more than 80 releases behind now (it was based on dcraw.c version 7.65).

The stand alone version of dcraw.c (7.94) in Dapper is a little newer. But, not if you have a camera that's been made recently. It's still more than 50 releases behind the current release.

What camera model produced the raw files that you're trying to open raw files from?

There are some other options available, and I know of a site that has a newer version of packages for digikam 0.9.0 for dapper than you can use to convert most files if you want to try it.

Unfortunately, backports to Dapper don't seem to be a very high priority with Ubuntu, and tools to convert raw files produced by newer cameras are shamefully out of date.

Jim C.

My initial issue was just to get the gimp working again, let alone opening raw image files. Yes, I have tried a fresh install of beta7 on a different machine with the same result, gimp starts up and looks fine, but it will not open any files. I have only tried .jpg and .png at this point, but I figured it would be best to advise the forums because 99.99% of all images are jpg.

I am aware of the shamefully out of date raw image converters. I don't haver any type or brand of camera specifically in mind because some of my less savvy corporate customers ask me to open images sent to them by their customers that they can not open.

Mike P

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I didn't try a jpeg or png. Since you were installing the plugins for raw conversion, I assumed you meant that you couldn't open raw files. LOL

I'll see if I can open a jpeg file from Gimp in beta 7 with those plugins installed and update the thread (it might be a little while before I boot back into the beta though).

Jim C.

Well, I went ahead and booted back into the partition I've got with beta 7 and tried it.

The Gimp works fine for me opening raw files (from cameras supported by these plugins), jpg, or png files.

I tried it with both gimp-ufraw and gimp-dcraw (one at a time, since you can't have both plugins installed simultaneously in the Gimp since they conflict).

All files I tried worked with either plug-in installed..

Now, this was not a clean install of beta 7. It's an installation that's been updated to beta 7 via Synaptic (using Reload, Mark all Upgrades, Apply periodically).

So, there could be some differences. I've already discovered some differences in my installation compared to the beta 7 live CD. For example, my wireless will work from my hard disk install (currently on beta 7). But, it won't work from a beta 7 live CD.

I also found packages that were missing after updating my hard disk install to beta 7 that I ended up installing myself so that I could mount my NTFS partition again that using Synaptic to update from beta to beta misses.

Could there be something unique about these files you're trying (file size or something else that could be impacting your ability to open them)?

Gimp does have some parameters you can set for some of that stuff. For example, under Preferences, Environment, the largest image file you can open defaults to 64MB (and a jpeg is going to be much larger in memory than it's file size since it will be decompressed when loaded).

I really don't want to try a clean install of beta 7 (since my wireless would probably not work, based on what I'm seeing from the beta 7 live CD). So, about the best I can try is my hard disk installation that's been updated to beta 7 from earlier betas (and I don't think you can install those plugins running from the live CD).

Jim C.