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Hi. I've actually never used python but I'm an experience programmer in other languages.

I wanted to do some "script-fu" for gimp, which uses scheme or python (it used to use perl, but AFAICT the bindings and modules are unmaintained and broken). I don't really like the look of scheme and would rather learn some python for this.

But before I do that, I wanted to make sure the gimp-python interface is functional. I've found some example scripts and tutorials, but I none of them refer to how the scripts are supposed to be installed, so I presume they go in the same directory with the scheme scripts. However, the schemes scripts show up but the python ones do not.

I'm not even sure if I have to install pyGIMP; there is a functional python console in gimp so I presume I do not, but when I went looking for the pyGIMP source anyway (there is no rpm), James Henstridge's (who wrote that and pyGTK) link is dead.

So hopefully there is someone out there who actually uses this or I will have to presume it has also become defunct/unmaintained and have to learn some scheme (yuck).

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Dani AI

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Good troubleshooting by — he tracked down the installation issue — and thanks to for trying to find a packaged build. Below are concise, practical notes that fill gaps for future readers (paths and packaging have changed since 2009, so the UI check and version details matter).

Always confirm where your GIMP looks for plug‑ins: open Edit → Preferences → Folders → Plug‑ins (and Scripts) and copy files into one of the listed locations, then restart GIMP. If you’re using a bundled build (Flatpak/Snap/AppImage) the per‑app profile is different from a distro package, so use the path shown in Preferences rather than guessing. (docs.gimp.org)

Python compatibility matters: modern GIMP 3.x uses Python 3 with GObject Introspection; older GIMP 2.10-era Python 2 plugins may be incompatible. When writing new plugins, target the Python version and API your installed GIMP exposes. The official Python plug‑in tutorial shows the recommended shebang and the GI-based pattern for GIMP 3.x. Example header to use for GIMP 3 plugins: 

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

Follow the tutorial’s skeleton (imports via gi.repository, Gimp.main, etc.) when porting or authoring. (gimp.org)

Quick debugging checklist: use Filters → Python‑Fu → Console to try small imports/prints and confirm the Python runtime; check the Error Console or the plug‑in log output for load errors; ensure the plug‑in file and directory names match the plugin’s expected name; on Unix-like systems make the script executable (for example, chmod +x plugin.py) and restart GIMP. If a packaged RPM/DEB/AppImage fails, consult Preferences → Folders and the packaging notes for that build — Flatpak/AppImage often need plugins placed under the app’s config area. (docs.gimp.org)

These points extend ’s solution by covering packaging differences, Python/API compatibility, and practical debugging steps so the same fix still works across current GIMP builds.

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Member Avatar for mk27

Try that link, hope it can help you, Dan08.

Perhaps if you had tried that link, you would have noticed that none of those are actually available. pbone is like that.

Thanks for trying tho.

Member Avatar for mk27

Okay, it is installed, which is just as well since AFAICT there is no more source available. Someone at the official gimp plug-in forum solved this for me (since there is nothing about it in the documentation), so for posterity:

The .py files do not go with the .scm files in ~/.gimp/scripts, they go in ~/.gimp/plug-ins (and they must be executable).

Now I can start learning python!

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