---
name: "gimptool-3.2"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gimp"
version: "3.2.6-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gimptool-3.2"
---

# gimptool-3.2(1)

script to perform various GIMPy functions

## NAME

gimptool - script to perform various GIMPy functions

## SYNOPSIS

**gimptool** \[--prefix*\[=DIR\]*\] \[--exec-prefix*\[=DIR\]*\] \[--version\] \[--help\] \[--quiet\] \[--silent\] \[-n\] \[--just-print\] \[--dry-run\] \[--recon\] \[--msvc-syntax\] \[--bindir\] \[--sbindir\] \[--libexecdir\] \[--datadir\] \[--sysconfdir\] \[--sharedstatedir\] \[--localstatedir\] \[--libdir\] \[--infodir\] \[--mandir\] \[--includedir\] \[--gimpplugindir\] \[--gimpdatadir\] \[--libs\] \[--libs-noui\] \[--cflags\] \[--cflags-noi\] \[--build *plug-in.c*\] \[--build-strip *plug-in.c*\] \[--install *plug-in.c*\] \[--install-strip *plug-in.c*\] \[--install-admin *plug-in.c*\] \[--install-bin *plug-in*\] \[--install-admin-strip *plug-in.c*\] \[--install-bin-strip *plug-in*\] \[--install-admin-bin *plug-in*\] \[--install-script *script.scm*\] \[--install-admin-script *script.scm*\] \[--uninstall-bin *plug-in*\] \[--uninstall-admin-bin *plug-in*\] \[--uninstall-script *script.scm*\] \[--uninstall-admin-script *script.scm*\]

## DESCRIPTION

*gimptool* is a tool that can, among other things, build plug-ins or scripts and install them if they are distributed in one source file.

*gimptool* can also be used by programs that need to know what libraries and include-paths *GIMP* was compiled with. *gimptool* uses *pkg-config* for this task. For use in Makefiles, it is recommended that you use *pkg-config* directly instead of calling *gimptool*.

## OPTIONS

*gimptool* accepts the following options:

- **--version**

  Print the currently installed version of *GIMP* on the standard output.

- **--help**

  Print out the help blurb, showing commonly used commandline options.

- **--quiet**

  Run quietly without echoing any of the build commands.

- **--silent**

  Run silently without echoing any of the build commands. Same as --quiet.

- **-n**

  Test mode. Print the commands but don't actually execute them. Useful for making dry runs for testing.

- **--just-print**

  Test mode. Print the commands but don't actually execute them. Same as -n.

- **--dry-run**

  Test mode. Print the commands but don't actually execute them. Same as -n.

- **--recon**

  Test mode. Print the commands but don't actually execute them. Same as -n.

- **--msvc-syntax**

  Useful on Windows. Outputs the compiler and linker flags in the syntax used by Microsoft's toolchain. Passed to the pkg-config command that does most of *gimptool*'s work.

- **--bindir**

  Outputs the bindir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--sbindir**

  Outputs the sbindir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--libexecdir**

  Outputs the libexecdir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--datadir**

  Outputs the datadir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--sysconfdir**

  Outputs the sysconfdir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--sharedstatedir**

  Outputs the sharedstatedir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--localstatedir**

  Outputs the localstatedir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--libdir**

  Outputs the libdir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--infodir**

  Outputs the infodir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--mandir**

  Outputs the mandir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--includedir**

  Outputs the includedir used to install the *GIMP*.

- **--gimpdatadir**

  Outputs the actual directory where the *GIMP* data files were installed.

- **--gimpplugindir**

  Outputs the actual directory where the *GIMP* plug-ins were installed.

- **--build *plug-in.c***

  Compile and link *plug-in.c* into a *GIMP* plug-in.

- **--build-strip *plug-in.c***

  Compile,link, and strip *plug-in.c* into a *GIMP* plug-in.

- **--install *plug-in.c***

  Compile, link, and install *plug-in.c* into the user's personal *GIMP* plug-in directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/plug-ins)

- **--install-strip *plug-in.c***

  Compile, link,strip, and install *plug-in.c* into the user's personal *GIMP* plug-in directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/plug-ins)

- **--install-admin *plug-in.c***

  Compile, link, and install *plug-in.c* into the system-wide *GIMP* plug-in directory (/usr/lib/gimp/3.0/plug-ins)

- **--install-bin *plug-in***

  Install *plug-in* into the user's personal *GIMP* plug-in directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/plug-ins)

- **--install-admin-bin *plug-in***

  Install *plug-in* into the system-wide *GIMP* plug-in directory (/usr/lib/gimp/3.0/plug-ins)

- **--install-bin-strip *plug-in***

  Install stripped *plug-in* into the user's personal *GIMP* plug-in directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/plug-ins)

- **--install-admin-bin-strip *plug-in***

  Install stripped *plug-in* into the system-wide *GIMP* plug-in directory (/usr/lib/gimp/3.0/plug-ins)

- **--install-script *script.scm***

  Install *script.scm* into the user's personal *GIMP* script directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/scripts)

- **--install-admin-script *script.scm***

  Install *script.scm* into the system-wide *GIMP* script directory (/usr/share/gimp/3.0/scripts)

- **--uninstall-bin *plug-in***

  Uninstall *plug-in* from the user's personal *GIMP* plug-in directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/plug-ins)

- **--uninstall-admin-bin *plug-in***

  Uninstall *plug-in* from the system-wide *GIMP* plug-in directory (/usr/lib/gimp/3.0/plug-ins)

- **--uninstall-script *script.scm***

  Uninstall *script.scm* from the user's personal *GIMP* script directory ($XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/GIMP/3.2/scripts)

- **--uninstall-admin-script *script.scm***

  Uninstall *script.scm* from the system-wide *GIMP* script directory (/usr/share/gimp/3.0/scripts)

- **--libs**

  Print the linker flags that are necessary to link a *GIMP* plug-in.

- **--libs-noui**

  Print the linker flags that are necessary to link a *GIMP* plug-in, for plug-ins that do not require the GTK libraries.

- **--libs-geglop**

  Print the linker flags that are necessary to link a *GEGL* filter.

- **--cflags**

  Print the compiler flags that are necessary to compile a *GIMP* plug-in.

- **--clags-noui**

  Print the compiler flags that are necessary to compile a *GIMP* plug-in for plug-ins that do not require the GTK libraries.

- **--clags-geglop**

  Print the compiler flags that are necessary to compile a *GEGL* filter.

- **--prefix=PREFIX**

  If specified, use PREFIX instead of the installation prefix that *GIMP* was built with when computing the output for the --cflags and --libs options. This option is also used for the exec prefix if --exec-prefix was not specified. This option must be specified before any --libs or --cflags options.

- **--exec-prefix=PREFIX**

  If specified, use PREFIX instead of the installation exec prefix that *GIMP* was built with when computing the output for the --cflags and --libs options. This option must be specified before any --libs or --cflags options.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **CC**

  to get the name of the desired C compiler.

- **CFLAGS**

  to get the preferred flags to pass to the C compiler for plug-in building.

- **LDFLAGS**

  to get the preferred flags for passing to the linker.

- **LIBS**

  for passing extra libs that may be needed in the build process. For example, LIBS=-lintl .

- **PKG\_CONFIG**

  to get the location of the *pkg-config* program that is used to determine details about your glib, pango, gtk and gimp installation.

## SEE ALSO

[**gimp**(1)](/gimp/1.md), [**gimprc**(5)](/gimprc/5.md), [**pkg-config**(1)](/pkg-config/1.md)

## AUTHORS

gimptool was written by Manish Singh (yosh@gimp.org) and is based on gtk-config by Owen Taylor (owen@gtk.org).

This man page was written by Ben Gertzfield (che@debian.org), and tweaked by Manish Singh (yosh@gimp.org), Adrian Likins (adrian@gimp.org) and Marc Lehmann (pcg@goof.com\>).