6 Years Since GIMP 2.10.0 Was First Released
It’s been just over 6 years since GIMP 2.10.0 was initially released. It was a monumental moment not only for the GNU Image Manipulation Program and its community of photographers and designers, but also for the free and open source software community in general.
However, in software terms, 6 years is an eternity, and the GIMP community has been growing increasingly restless over the release of GIMP’s next major stable release – GIMP 3.0.
GIMP 3.0 RC1 Now 96% Complete
Thankfully, it appears that (and I’ve said this many times before, so I don’t blame you if you read these next words with a healthy dose of skepticism) GIMP 3.0 is finally almost complete. Well, the first GIMP 3.0 Release Candidate (referred to as RC1), that is.
To put it into precise percentage terms, the GIMP 3.0 RC1 is 96% complete according to the current GIMP project maintainer, Jehan, over at The ZeMarmot Project, who shared a Patreon post on the ZeMarmon X account outlining the latest GIMP 3.0 progress.
The 96% figure comes from the GIMP 3.0 RC1 Milestones page hosted on GitLab, which keeps track of developer progress on the free photo editor. This page details the number of open issues keeping the project from being released versus number of closed issues.
At the time of this article, there are 11 open issues that need to be resolved prior to the GIMP 3.0 RC1 release. 6 of those issues are “open and assigned” while the remaining 5 are categorized as “unstarted issues” (“open and unassigned”). 329 issues have been closed for GIMP 3.0 RC1 in total, meaning there are 340 total known issues.
GIMP 3.0 Release Date Prediction
If you follow Davies Media Design, you know I like to make predictions (and be wrong all the time with those predictions, especially as they relate to GIMP 3.0). So, I’ll use some simple math to make a prediction as to when we can expect GIMP 3.0 RC1 based on the numbers discussed in this article.
If it’s taken us 6 years and 2 months to get this far (96%), then to complete the remaining 4% would mean there’s about 3 months left of development before we see GIMP 3.0 RC1. That puts the GIMP 3.0 RC1 release date at… January 1st, 2025.
Where Can You Download GIMP 3.0?
Once it is released, you’ll be able to download GIMP 3.0 for free from the official GIMP website on the Downloads page. This page always has the latest stable version of GIMP available, and should automatically detect what operating system you’re using. If it doesn’t, use the “Show downloads for” links to select your operating system.
Windows Download
I recommend clicking the orange “Download GIMP Directly” button on this page rather than going with the BitTorrent option (for Windows).
Also for Windows users, the GIMP developers have made the latest versions of GIMP available on the Microsoft Store (for those of you who prefer to get your downloads this way). They recommend using their provided direct link on the downloads page and avoid using third-party links to the Microsoft store. DO NOT PAY FOR GIMP – it is totally free, and charging for an unaltered/unimproved version of GIMP is a scam.
You can see what the latest available version of GIMP is under the “Current Stable Version” heading. If you don’t see GIMP 3.0 listed here, it means it’s not available yet.
Apple/Mac Download
If you’re using an Apple (a.k.a. mac) computer, I recommend either clicking the orange “Download GIMP for Intel” button or “Download GIMP for Apple Silicon” button on the downloads page (Intel and Apple Silicon are the two chips available in Apple computers – do a quick search on your computer to see which chip your mac uses).
You can see what the latest available version of GIMP is under the “Current Stable Version” heading. If you don’t see GIMP 3.0 listed here, it means it’s not available yet.
Linux Download
For Linux users, there is only one button (Install GIMP Flatpak). Follow the instructions on the GNU/Linux tab of the downloads page (again, this is found under the “Show downloads for” section) to install GIMP on your Linux machine.
You can see what the latest available version of GIMP is under the “Current Stable Version” heading. If you don’t see GIMP 3.0 listed here, it means it’s not available yet.
Where to Download GIMP 3.0 Release Candidates (RC1, etc.)
If you want to try out the latest development downloads from GIMP, they will be made available to download on the GIMP Development Downloads page. This is where you’ll find the GIMP 3.0 RC1 download and future release candidates once they are released. If you don’t see release candidate downloads available on this page, it means they aren’t available yet.
You’ll see what the latest development release version is under “Currrent Development Version.” GIMP 2.99.x versions are the unstable development versions that will eventually go on to become GIMP 3.0 RC1 and GIMP 3.0 (after testing and bug-fixing/iterating). For example, GIMP 2.99.18 is an unstable development release version.
Learning GIMP and its many tools/features can be a huge challenge, especially when you simply want to focus on editing great photos or creating designs for your projects.
There’s only so much information I can share in blog articles and video tutorials, which is why I’ve put together the GIMP Masterclass: From Beginner to Pro in Photo Editing and Design. This course is an in-depth education on GIMP and how you can use it to edit better photos or create more professional designs for any project.
For a limited time, you can get this 40+ hour course with over 200 video lectures at a steep discount! In the course, you’ll learn important concepts like:
- How to Master GIMP 2.10
- How to use all the tools in the GIMP toolbox.
- The GIMP layout and its most important features
- All 38 layer modes (blend modes) for creating image effects.
- Important design and image editing concepts like Layers and Selection Areas
- What’s new in the latest versions of GIMP
I’ve taught over 15,000 students just like you how to finally master GIMP and take their skills to the next level. Plus, with over 10 years experience with GIMP and photo editing, I’ve got tons of experience creating stunning photos and design with free software that I’ve included in the course.
The course has over 3,700 ratings, more than any other course on the platform, and a 4.6 star rating. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to finally start your journey master GIMP, the free photo editor!
