ubuntu-desktop is a meta-package which isn’t needed until you want to upgrade Ubuntu, when you probably might have to deinstall GIMP again and replace ubuntu-desktop.

I used sudo dpkg -i libabl*.deb and then the other five, doing gimp-data second-last. I was unable to install gimp_2.6.6*.deb because python-gtk2 was missing. I opened synaptic and installed python-gtk2, which also required 4 other packages. After this, gimp_2.6* installed OK and the program works fine.

OK. First, I removed every reference to GIMP in Synaptic Package Manager. For the non-geek, this is probably the scariest part. When I suggest that Synaptic remove gimp-python, it threatens to uninstall ubuntu-desktop. Hmm. How much will disappear if I remove ubuntu-desktop? Everything? Well, not much apparently. I survived its removal. Chances are: you will too.

With all traces of GIMP gone from my hard drive I installed the various GIMP parts in roughly this order (does not apply to 2.6.2):

1. libbabl-0.0-0*.deb
2. gimp-data*.deb
3. lib-gegl*.deb
4. libgimp2.0_2.6.1*.deb
5. gimp_2.6.1*.deb

If I download gimp_2.6.1*.deb alone, not much will happen if I double-click it. And the above may not be obvious to those who wander through the GetDeb site.

If anyone knows how to get gimp-python going for 2.6.1 this would be a good time to add it below.

(Thanks for cleaning up my previous post, guys.)

First: I removed the offending repository from my sources.list file.

Second: I updated apt (apt-get update) and there was no more call to upgrade my system.

Third: I headed over to getdeb.net and found http://www.getdeb.net/app/Gimp. Neat. At the time of writing there’s a version 2.6.1 for Hardy Heron and a version 2.6.2 for Intrepid Ibex. Excellent. A quick download and I’ve got the most recent GIMP back.

The moral here, boys and girls, is: don’t throw lines willy nilly into your sources.list file. Who knows what other baggage that line will bring in. If I cannot find a good .deb installer, then heck: download the source code … and go wild.

So what if Ubuntu doesn’t upgrade your freshly installed software. You lived with this idea under Windows for years! Go back to the source site and see if there are sources for the upgraded version. Don’t be a wuss.

PROBLEM:
Now, I encountered this when I installed Linux Mint. I thought it was a Mint problem, so I wiped and re-installed Ultimate Edition to restore GIMP 2.6.1. But now I have the same problem here in Hardy.

When I add the deb http://ubuntu.org.ua/ getdeb/ to my sources.list file, update and then try to upgrade, this is what I get:

The following packages have been kept back:
audacity dvdstyler easytag gimp gimp-data gimp-gnomevfs gimp-python gnome-do gnome-do-plugins k9copy libgimp2.0 lives mandvd
The following packages will be upgraded:
banshee blender brasero devede gnucash gnucash-common isomaster libpurple0 p7zip p7zip-full pidgin pidgin-data rdesktop songbird tomboy transmission-common transmission-gtk ubuntu-tweak
wireshark wireshark-common wireshark-dev
21 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 13 not upgraded.
Need to get 67.5MB of archives.
After this operation, 23.7MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

GIMP is held back? What gives? When I tried this through Synaptic in Linux Mint (and I see it’s going to do the same thing again, it removed GIMP altogether not allowing me to go forward (2.6.1) or back (2.4.x).

Not cool. Now what?

Cheers,

Don’t complain to getdeb.net or ubuntu after that happens, as both parties frown on this.