gimp-headless

name	gimp-headless
description	Run GIMP headlessly as a command line application using batch mode. Use this skill when asked to run GIMP scripts, manipulate image layers automatically, or process images with GIMP tools without opening the GUI.

GIMP Headless Batch Mode Skill

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) can be executed in a powerful "headless" batch mode. This allows AI agents to manipulate images via command-line execution without spawning graphical windows.

Core Command & Flags

If running on Linux, standard execution involves the following core flags:

gimp -i -b '<batch-command>' -b '(gimp-quit 0)'

• -i or --no-interface: Run without the GUI. This is the most critical flag for headless execution.
• -b or --batch: The batch command to execute. You can string multiple -b commands together.
• -d or --no-data: Do not load brushes, gradients, palettes, or patterns (speeds up execution if you don't need them).
• -f or --no-fonts: Do not load fonts (speeds up execution).
• --batch-interpreter <interpreter>: Allows switching from script-fu-eval (default Scheme) to python-fu-eval (Python).

Approach 1: Script-Fu (Scheme)

The default batch interpreter uses Script-Fu. This requires passing LISP-like commands.

Example: Batch Resizing an Image

gimp -i -b '(let* ((image (car (gimp-file-load RUN-NONINTERACTIVE "input.png" "input.png"))) (drawable (car (gimp-image-get-active-layer image)))) (gimp-image-scale image 800 600) (gimp-file-save RUN-NONINTERACTIVE image drawable "output.png" "output.png") (gimp-image-delete image))' -b '(gimp-quit 0)'

Approach 2: Python-Fu (Python)

You can also execute Python directly natively through GIMP's API. This is heavily preferred for complex scripts.

Example: Calling a Python script Provide a .py script (e.g., process.py), and then execute it via:

gimp -i --batch-interpreter python-fu-eval -b "import sys; sys.path.append('.'); import process; process.run()" -b "pdb.gimp_quit(1)"

Alternatively, executing inline Python:

gimp -i --batch-interpreter python-fu-eval -b "import gimp; image=pdb.gimp_file_load('input.png', 'input.png'); pdb.gimp_image_flip(image, 0); pdb.gimp_file_save(image, image.active_layer, 'output.png', 'output.png'); pdb.gimp_quit(1)"

Important AI Execution Considerations

• Always ensure you append -b '(gimp-quit 0)' (or pdb.gimp_quit(1) in Python) to ensure the GIMP process exits and doesn't infinitely hang the terminal.
• File paths must ideally be absolute, or strictly resolved relative paths to ensure GIMP correctly locates the targets.