GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Linux
OS Version: Linux Mint 22.3 Zena
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

List any ERROR messages you received:
Vala compiler for the host machine: valac (valac 0.56.16)

meson.build:971:33: ERROR: Vala shared or static library 'babl-0.1' not found

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I have cloned gimp-data into gimp from github gimp-data.git
and then
git submodule update --init --recursive
the tags checked out for gimp-data and gimp are both GIMP_3_0_0_RC
babl and gegl compile and gegl finds babl-0.1

What else is needed for
meson setup _build -Dprefix="/home/john/.local/gimp-git"
to work?

Do I need to compile vala to have it find babl-0.?
I have a -dev package for vala -- libvala-0.56-dev
Is there further pkgconfig setup needed?

Thanks, John

I think you would be better off using the Gimp AppImage given it is @ 3.08.
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Compiling can be hard because there are dependencies of dependencies and there is always some missing because the dev never knew they were on his/her system.

Yes, I have tried using flatpak and have problems that it cannot be backgrounded and still work right -- it hangs then. The flatpak is also slow responding. Is there an appimage that works better than flatpak?

What I'd really like is to compile it and get quick running gimp that can be put in the background and still do another gimp xxfile.png and have it open that in another tab.

@cibolo
I had a go compiling Gimp 3 and get stuck almost at first hurdle, GEGL

A slow flatpak, might be something external like using wayland rather than X11

The official appimage is a great bit of work but it is built on Debian Bookworm. That is ok providing you do not want any compiled plugin such as gimp_gmic_qt or resynthesizer. If anyone knows how to compile for that particular installation, please tell. I have tried.

In my opinion since you are using Mint Zena use one of the PPA's

For Gimp 3.0.8 https://launchpad.net/~ubuntuhandbook1/ ... ntu/gimp-3
or if feeling brave
For Gimp 3.2 https://launchpad.net/~mati75/+archive/ubuntu/gimp30 Which looks like this

"since you are using Mint Zena use one of the PPA's"

I have not tried that. I will, thanks. That will help with my wanting to use command line to add another image to edit, and responsiveness of locally compiled mostly...

Yes, that worked well on my thinkpad with Skylake GT2 [HD Graphics 520] vendor: Intel
CPU: dual core Intel Core i5-6300U (-MT MCP-) speed/min/max: 700/400/3000 MHz
Kernel: 6.14.0-37-generic x86_64 Up: 1d 19h 59m Mem: 3.92/15.48 GiB (25.4%)

It installed many -dev packages. maybe I can compile locally with those as dependencies? But, for now, I have responsive gimp that can be backgrounded and still work.

Maybe you had an existing libgimp dev package which got upgraded, that pulls in lots of dependencies. A clean install - with just a sudo apt install gimp leaves all that out. From memory about 30 or 40 MB of packages.



Now you have gimp tool, then you can compile plugins, not too many at the moment, gimp_gmic_qt, resynthesizer, deskew

Running in background. I manage with a mixture of appimage Gimp 2.10 and PPA Gimp 3.0.8 and can get more than one running using the gimp -n (new instance) switch