GIMPshop

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GIMPshop
A screenshot of GIMPshop on Microsoft Windows XP
Developed by	Scott Moschella
Latest release	2.2.11 based on The Gimp 2.2.11 / May 17, 2006
OS	Cross-platform
Genre	Raster graphics editor
License	GPL
Website	www.gimpshop.com

GIMPshop is a modification of the free/open source graphics program GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), intended to replicate the feel of Adobe Photoshop. Its primary purpose is to make users of Photoshop feel comfortable using GIMP. Or, according to the developer:

"My original purpose for GIMPshop was to make the Gimp accessible to the many Adobe Photoshop users out there. I hope I’ve done that. And maybe along the way, I can convert a Photoshop pirate into a Gimp user."

It shares GIMP's feature list, customisability, and availability on multiple platforms, while addressing some common criticisms regarding the program's interface: GIMPshop modifies the menu structure to more closely resemble Photoshop and adjusts the program's terminology to match Adobe's. In the Windows version, GIMPshop uses a plugin called 'Deweirdifyer' to combine the application's numerous windows in a similar manner to the MDI system used by most Windows graphics packages. Since March 2006, it supports Photoshop plugins, through a host plugin that can run on Microsoft Windows or Linux, pspi. All of GIMP's own plugins (filters, brushes, etc.) remain available.

Due to the GIMP interface changes found in GIMPshop, many tutorials for the popular Photoshop can, without modification, be followed in GIMPshop, and others may be adapted for GIMPshop users with minimal effort.

GIMPshop was created by Next New Networks' (formerly Attack of the Show!'s) Scott Moschella. It was originally developed for Mac OS X. The Mac OS X version is a Universal Binary, and requires X11.app to run on that OS. GIMPshop has also been ported to Windows, Linux, and Solaris. The only change to the normal GIMP, other than the menu layout and Photoshop naming conventions, is that it adds a background window to the user interface. This background window causes significant bugs in the Windows version, however, often causing windows to gray out or become unresponsive.

In Mac OS X, GIMPshop is compatible only with Apple operating system 10.3 and 10.4 and requires an installation of Apple X11, based on the X Window System display protocol. Although the latest version of Apple operating system Mac OS X v10.5 installs X11 by default, this version is not compatible with GIMPshop. This is because GIMPshop was based on GIMP 2.2.11, which is no longer updated. The latest version of GIMP, 2.4.3, is compatible with Leopard X11, but GIMPshop has not released a new version based on the latest GIMP codebase.