GIMP recently announced it’s latest GIMP 3.0 release candidate – GIMP 3.0 RC2 – which means you can now download and test out the version that will go on to become GIMP 3.0 (very soon, it appears). In this article, I’ll show you exactly where you need to go and what you need to do to successfully download future release candidates and unstable development versions.
Visit the GIMP.org Downloads Page
For starters, GIMP can always be downloaded for free directly from the GIMP.org Downloads page. This includes stable versions of the program. In other words, you should never have to pay for GIMP!
Once you’re on the Downloads page, scroll down to the bottom. Under “Development Snapshots,” you’ll see a link to the development downloads page. Click this link.
Click the Download Button for Your Operating System
Once on the Development Downloads page, you can scroll down until you see some large buttons. For Windows, I recommend clicking the orange “Download GIMP directly” button. This button will tell you what the latest development or release candidate version is available for download for your operating system (sometimes MAC OS takes longer for newer versions to be available due to a lack of MAC developers).
Your computer will ask where you want to save the file. Choose an download location, then click “Save.”
Run the Install
Once the download is complete, click the download icon on your browser and click to open the download file in your File Explorer (Windows).
Next, double-click on the setup icon to run the installer.
You will receive a warning message informing you that development releases and release candidates can be unstable and contain risk. You’ll also see a link to where you can review bugs that have already been reported, or report your own bug if you encounter one (this helps make the software better). If you accept the risks associated with the development release versions and release candidates, click “Continue” to proceed with the install.
On the splash screen, click “Install” to install the GIMP development release or release candidate on your computer (note: you can click “Customize” if you’d like to change where on your computer it is installed).
Once the install is completed, you can check “Launch GIMP” to open the program. Then, click “Finish” to complete the install.
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