Migrate GIMP User Profile Between Major Versions

Upgrading between major releases of GIMP—such as moving from version 2.8 to 2.10 or preparing for 3.0—often leaves behind custom user configurations, brushes, scripts, and tool presets. While GIMP sometimes offers an automated migration prompt upon the first launch of a new version, this process can fail or be skipped accidentally. This guide explains how to locate your old user profile directory, identify which assets to transfer, and safely copy them into the newer version's file structure to ensure your workflow remains uninterrupted.

Step 1: Locate the Profile Directories

GIMP stores user configurations in version-specific directories named after the release number (for example, 2.10 or 3.0). Before migrating, close all active instances of GIMP.

Open your file manager and navigate to the base GIMP configuration path for your operating system:

  • Windows: Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\GIMP, and press Enter. You will see versioned folders such as 2.10 and 3.0.
  • macOS: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and enter ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP/.
  • Linux (Standard/Package Manager): Navigate to ~/.config/GIMP/.
  • Linux (Flatpak): Navigate to ~/.var/app/org.gimp.GIMP/config/GIMP/.

Step 2: Identify Assets to Migrate

Do not copy the entire old directory directly over the new one. Overwriting core configuration files like gimprc, sessionrc, or menurc across major releases can cause interface instability or launch crashes.

Instead, focus on transferring custom content folders from the old version directory to the new version directory:

  • scripts/ – Script-Fu files (.scm)
  • plug-ins/ – Custom binaries or third-party plug-ins
  • brushes/ – Custom brushes (.gbr, .gih, .vbr)
  • patterns/ – Seamless fill patterns (.pat)
  • palettes/ – Color palettes (.gpl)
  • gradients/ – Custom gradients (.ggr)
  • dynamics/ and tool-presets/ – Saved brush behaviors and custom tool configurations

Step 3: Copy the Files

  1. Open the older version folder (e.g., 2.10) and the newer version folder (e.g., 3.0) in separate file windows.
  2. If the newer version folder does not yet exist, launch the new GIMP installation once to generate its default profile structure, then close it.
  3. Open each individual asset folder in the old profile, copy the contents, and paste them into the corresponding folder inside the new profile directory.

Step 4: Address Script and Plug-in Compatibility

While brushes, patterns, and gradients transfer seamlessly across all major versions, scripts and plug-ins may encounter compatibility hurdles:

  • Python Scripts: Major upgrades frequently change underlying scripting environments (such as the shift from Python 2 in GIMP 2.10 to Python 3 in GIMP 3.0). Older Python plug-ins will not run until updated by their developers.
  • Compiled Binaries: Third-party .exe or compiled C plug-ins must be recompiled for the major library changes of the newer release.
  • If GIMP fails to launch or displays errors during startup after migrating, remove the copied files from the plug-ins/ directory one by one to isolate the incompatible item.

Alternative Method: Linking Folders in Preferences

If you prefer not to duplicate files on your drive, you can map the new GIMP installation to read directly from your old directories:

  1. Launch the new version of GIMP.
  2. Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows/Linux) or GIMP > Preferences (macOS).
  3. Expand the Folders tree in the left sidebar.
  4. Select the category you want to map (such as Brushes or Scripts).
  5. Click the Add a new folder icon, click the file browser button, and select the corresponding folder from your old version profile.
  6. Click OK and restart GIMP.