GIMP Version: 2.8.20
Operating System: Linux
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

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Can "File -> Save As" xcf.bzip2 or xcf.gzip compression be influenced with something like the environmental variables (BZIP2 or GZIP) or given options?

I have multiple files opened and I can't tell which ones have been modified. What should my eyes be looking for to indicate which images have been modified? It would be nice if the tabs for the images that have been changed were a different color (i.e., red).

Is there a way to "Save All" in Gimp ---- just Save All to nameN.xcf.gz?

If not from the GUI, is there a way to "Save All" files, current_name.xcf to current_name.xcf.bzip2, from the command line?

When an image needs to be saved it has an asterisk in front of its name in the title bar. For a more synthetic list, you can open the Python console and enter this:



then hit [enter] twice.

'I have multiple files opened'. Are you working on just one masterpiece at a time or do you work on more than one?
Not sure why you are compressing your Gimp xcf files? I think xcf's are just used by Gimp and not much else.
Once you are finished your Gimp project (XCF) you mostly 'export as' one of the popular image/animation formats like JPEG, GIF, PNG
etc.
Looking at the files you have saved with a file manager set to 'details' will give you the time and date the files were created.
Right-clicking a file and looking at the file properties will also give you this information.
Hope this helps.

So I have to click on each tab and look at the window's titlebar for an asterisk. HHHmmm...., I like that command. Is there a way in Gimp to save commands like that, to recall within the python console. I suppose you have to turn it into a plug-in. This is something I can see using a lot.

One of the reasons I have multiple files open is if I'm scanning a lot or taking screenshots. And that part of the process is setup to be sort of automatic. I just open or send-to all the files to gimp and crop, transform and then save the "original" as xcf. It would be sooo nice if I could just say "Save All as xcf", but I have to click each tab and File -> Save. I try to remember to do the save after the modifications and then I can just safely close Gimp. If I miss any, I get the dialog. It would be nice if I could ensure all are saved before hand (that's where the above command could come in handy). I have been compressing the xcf files external to gimp and thought why not just use gimps' and skip a step.

This sound like it might be an option too: http://www.shallowsky.com/software/gimp-save/

Why can't you open them all in GIMP as layers and save the one file as an XCF?

There is a file you can download (a compressd py file, along with documentation) here: http://gimpscripts.com/2015/03/save-all/

Although as far as I know you can only save as .xcf's

Because XCFs can be huge and compressing them reduces them to about 1/3 of the size. Compression or nor compression, it's a matter of CPU available vs disk available, but these days the CPU used for compression is negligible, and although local storage is plentiful and cheap, network storage is still dependent on a limited bandwidth.

Your right. I remember working on a clock face with a internal error that was hogging 100% of the CPU cycles.
It bought me to a halt. It was my error and not Gimps.

I tend to think this is a workflow issue. If he has a lot of compressed XCF's that are part of the same project, he is going to have to expand them all and create a single XCF. If they are from different projects, the answer is easy.