---
name: "gifview"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gifsicle"
version: "1.98-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gifview"
---

# gifview(1)

displays GIF images and animations on the X window system

## NAME

gifview - displays GIF images and animations on the X window system

## SYNOPSIS

**gifview** \[**--display** *display*\] \[options\] \[filenames and frames\]...

## DESCRIPTION

**gifview** displays GIF image files on workstations and terminals running the X Window System. **gifview** understands multi-image GIFs, which can be displayed either as slideshows or as animations.

## INTERACTION

**gifview** windows recognize several keystrokes and button commands. Many of them are only useful for multi-image GIFs.

- Space or **n**

  Go to the next frame.

- **b** or **p**

  Go to the previous frame.

- **r** or **\<**

  Go to the first frame.

- **\>**

  Go to the last frame.

- ESC

  Stop the animation.

- **s** or **a**

  Toggle between animation and slideshow mode.

- **u**

  Toggle between normal and unoptimized mode.

- Backspace

  Delete this window.

- **q**

  Quit **gifview**.

Left-clicking on a window goes to the next frame; right-clicking on a window deletes that window.

## COMMAND LINE

**gifview**'s command line consists of *GIF input files* and *options*. Most options start with a dash (-) or plus (+); frame selections, a kind of option, start with a number sign (#). Anything else is a GIF input file.

**gifview** displays one window for each GIF input file you specify. If no GIF input file is given, or you give the special filename \`-', it reads from the standard input.

## OPTIONS

- **--animate**, **-a**

  Animate multi-image GIFs by default. Normally, multi-image GIFs first appear in slideshow mode. You can always use the \`**a**' keystroke to toggle between modes. This option has a converse, \`**--no-animate**' or \`**+a**'.

- **--unoptimize**, **-U**

  Display multi-image GIFs as \`\`unoptimized'', which shows a faithful representation of what a user will see at each frame of an animation. See [**gifsicle**(1)](/gifsicle/1.md) for a more detailed description of unoptimization. This option has a converse, \`**--no-unoptimize**' or \`**+U**'. GIFs are always displayed unoptimized in animation mode.

- ***-d** display*

  - ***--display** display*

  Sets the X display to *display*. This option must come before any GIF files.

- ***--name** name*

  Sets the application name under which resources are found, rather than the default of "gifview". Since **gifview** itself does not use the resource database, this is mostly useful for communication with your window manager.

- ***--geometry** geometry*

  Set the size and position of **gifview**'s windows. This is a standard X option. At most one **--geometry** option can be given per window (that is, per input GIF file).

- ***--title** title*

  Sets the **gifview** window's title. The default is "gifview", followed by information about the currently displayed file and frame.

- ***-w** window*

  - ***--window** window*

  Display the next GIF input in an existing X window, instead of making a new top-level window. This way, you can use **gifview** to display animated GIFs in a window you created with another program. The *window* argument should be an integer (**gifview** will use that window ID) or \`root' (**gifview** will use the root window).

- ***--new-window** window*

  Display the next GIF input in a new child of an existing X window. This child window will disappear when **gifview** exits. The *window* argument should be an integer (**gifview** will use that window ID) or \`root' (**gifview** will use the root window).

- **--install-colormap**, **-i**

  Use a private colormap for each window (if you are using a PseudoColor display). This avoids polluting the existing colormap, and may produce better results if your colormap is full, but causes annoying colormap flashing.

- ***--background** color*

  - ***--bg** color*

  Set the background color, which is used for transparent pixels.

- ***--min-delay** delay*

  Set the minimum delay between frames to *delay*, which is measured in hundredths of a second. Default is 0.

- ***--fallback-delay** delay*

  Set the frame delay of GIFs that do not specify a delay value or have a delay of 0. The final value is still subject to the value of --min-delay. Like --min-delay, *delay* is measured in hundredths of a second. Default is 0.

- **--no-interactive**, **+e**

  Don't pay attention to mouse buttons or keystrokes.

- **--memory-limit**lim

  Cache at most *lim* megabytes of images in memory when animating. Default is 40.

- **--help**

  Print usage information and exit.

- **--version**

  Print the version number and some quickie warranty information and exit.

### Frame Selections

A frame selection tells **gifview** which frame to initially display from the current input file. They are useful only for animations, as non-animated GIFs only have one frame. Frame selections can only be displayed in slideshow mode.

- **#***num*

  Select frame *num*. (The first frame is \`**#0**'. Negative numbers count backwards from the last frame, which is \`**#-1**'.)

- **#***name*

  Select the frame named *name*.

If you give two or more frame selections, you will get one window per frame selection.

## SEE ALSO

[**gifsicle**(1)](/gifsicle/1.md)

## BUGS

Please email suggestions, additions, patches and bugs to ekohler@gmail.com.

## AUTHORS

Eddie Kohler, ekohler@gmail.com\
 http://www.read.seas.harvard.edu/~kohler/

http://www.lcdf.org/gifsicle/\
 The  **gifsicle** home page.