How to Install digiKam on Linux Mint

digiKam is an open-source photo management application developed by the KDE project. It provides tools for organizing, editing, and sharing digital photos, including support for RAW file processing, face recognition, geotagging, batch processing, and advanced metadata management. Common use cases include managing large photo libraries, organizing images by tags and ratings, processing RAW files from DSLR cameras, and creating photo albums with geolocation data. By the end of this guide, you will have digiKam installed and configured on Linux Mint, ready to import and manage your photo collection.

Choose Your digiKam Installation Method

Because Linux Mint provides multiple installation paths for digiKam, each with different trade-offs regarding version availability, update frequency, and system integration, the comparison table below summarizes your options.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT (Default Repository)	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Automatic via apt upgrade	Most users who prefer stable, distro-tested packages
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Manual via flatpak update	Users who want the newest features with sandboxed installation
Source Compilation	KDE GitLab	Development or tagged release	Manual recompilation	Developers on future Mint releases with KF6 (see limitations below)

For most users, the APT method is recommended because it provides automatic security updates, integrates well with system libraries, and requires minimal maintenance. However, APT versions vary by Linux Mint release: Mint 22.x includes version 8.2, while Mint 21.x includes version 7.5. If you need the latest digiKam features regardless of your Mint version, Flatpak provides access to version 8.8 on both releases.

These steps cover Linux Mint 22.x (based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, codename noble) and Linux Mint 21.x (based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, codename jammy). APT package versions vary by release as noted above, while Flatpak provides the same latest version across all supported Mint releases. Commands are identical across versions unless otherwise noted.

Method 1: Install digiKam via APT

By default, the Linux Mint repository (inherited from Ubuntu) provides a stable, tested version of digiKam that integrates with your system’s KDE libraries. This method is the simplest approach and ensures automatic security updates through your regular system maintenance.

Update the Package Index

First, refresh your package index and upgrade existing packages to ensure you have the latest security patches and dependency versions:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install digiKam

Next, install digiKam using APT. The package manager will automatically resolve and install all required dependencies, including KDE libraries, image processing tools, and database components:

sudo apt install digikam

This command installs the digikam main package along with digikam-data (application data files) and digikam-private-libs (shared libraries for plugins).

Verify the Installation

Once installation completes, verify that digiKam is available by checking the installed package version:

dpkg -l digikam | grep digikam

The expected output varies by Linux Mint release:

On Linux Mint 22.x:

ii  digikam  4:8.2.0-0ubuntu6.2  amd64  digital photo management application for KDE

On Linux Mint 21.x:

ii  digikam  4:7.5.0-3fakesync1  amd64  digital photo management application for KDE

Method 2: Install digiKam via Flatpak

Alternatively, Flatpak provides the latest digiKam release in a sandboxed environment, independent of your Linux Mint version. Because Flatpak bundles its own dependencies, this method ensures you always have access to the newest features while maintaining system stability. Linux Mint includes Flatpak and Flathub pre-configured by default, so no additional setup is required.

Install digiKam from Flathub

Install digiKam using the following command:

flatpak install flathub org.kde.digikam -y

The -y flag automatically confirms the installation. Flatpak will download the application along with any required runtime libraries. Note that the initial download may be large since Flatpak includes bundled dependencies.

For general Flatpak management and troubleshooting, see our Flatpak upgrade guide for Linux Mint.

Verify the Flatpak Installation

Once installation finishes, confirm that digiKam was installed correctly by listing the installed Flatpak applications:

flatpak list | grep -i digikam

Expected output:

digiKam    org.kde.digikam    8.8.0    stable    system

Method 3: Build digiKam from Source

Compiling digiKam from source gives you access to the latest development features, custom build options, and the ability to modify the source code. This method is intended for developers, contributors, and advanced users who need capabilities not available in packaged versions.

Important: Building digiKam 8.x from source requires KDE Frameworks 6 (KF6) libraries, which are not currently available in Linux Mint 21.x or 22.x repositories. The underlying Ubuntu repositories (22.04 and 24.04) do not include the required libkf6*-dev packages. If you want the latest digiKam version on current Mint releases, use the Flatpak method instead, which bundles its own KF6 dependencies. The instructions below are provided for future Mint releases that include KF6, or for users who compile KF6 from source first. Building from source requires extensive dependencies and may take 30-60 minutes depending on your hardware.

Install Build Dependencies

digiKam has extensive build dependencies including Qt6, KDE Frameworks 6, image processing libraries, and multimedia codecs. The project provides a bootstrap script that handles CMake configuration, but first install the required packages.

First, install the essential build tools:

sudo apt install git cmake extra-cmake-modules build-essential gettext

The build-essential package includes GCC and essential compilation tools. For more details on the C/C++ build environment, see our GCC compiler guide for Linux Mint. For Git setup, see installing Git on Linux Mint.

Next, install the core Qt6 and KDE Frameworks 6 development libraries (available in future Mint releases based on Ubuntu 26.04 or later):

sudo apt install qt6-base-dev qt6-svg-dev qt6-multimedia-dev qt6-networkauth-dev \
  qt6-webengine-dev libkf6config-dev libkf6coreaddons-dev libkf6i18n-dev \
  libkf6xmlgui-dev libkf6windowsystem-dev libkf6service-dev libkf6solid-dev \
  libkf6notifyconfig-dev libkf6notifications-dev libkf6threadweaver-dev \
  libkf6iconthemes-dev libkf6sonnet-dev libkf6calendarcore-dev

Additionally, install the image processing and multimedia libraries:

sudo apt install libopencv-dev libtiff-dev libpng-dev libjpeg-dev libboost-all-dev \
  liblcms2-dev libexpat1-dev libexiv2-dev libheif-dev libx265-dev libxml2-dev \
  libxslt1-dev flex bison libeigen3-dev liblensfun-dev libgphoto2-dev \
  libmagick++-dev ffmpeg libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libavutil-dev

Package names may vary slightly between releases. If a package is not found, search for alternatives with apt-cache search <keyword>-dev. The CMake configuration step will report any missing dependencies.

Clone the digiKam Source Code

Clone the official digiKam repository from KDE GitLab. The master branch contains the latest development code compatible with Qt6:

git clone https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam.git ~/digikam-source
cd ~/digikam-source

If you prefer a specific stable release, list the available tags and check out the desired version:

git tag -l "v8.*" | tail -10
git checkout v8.8.0

Configure and Build digiKam

digiKam provides a bootstrap.linux script that configures CMake with sensible defaults. Run the script to prepare the build environment:

./bootstrap.linux

If the bootstrap script reports missing dependencies, install them and run the script again. Once configuration succeeds, navigate to the build directory and compile:

cd build
make -j$(nproc)

The -j$(nproc) flag uses all available CPU cores for parallel compilation. On a modern system, compilation typically takes 30-60 minutes.

Install the Compiled Build

After compilation completes successfully, install digiKam to your system:

sudo make install/fast

By default, the bootstrap script installs digiKam to /usr (the standard system directory for applications). You can then launch digiKam with the digikam command.

Verify the Source Build

Confirm the installation succeeded by checking the version:

digikam --version

Expected output:

digikam 8.8.0

For detailed build options, troubleshooting, and alternative configurations, refer to the official digiKam build documentation.

Launch digiKam

Once installed, you can launch digiKam from the terminal or through your desktop environment’s application menu.

Launch from Terminal

The command to launch digiKam depends on your installation method:

APT or source installation:

digikam

Flatpak installation:

flatpak run org.kde.digikam

Launch from Applications Menu

To launch digiKam graphically, open your applications menu and search for “digiKam.” Click the digiKam icon to start the application. In Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions, digiKam appears under the Graphics category.

Initial Configuration

When you launch digiKam for the first time, the setup wizard guides you through initial configuration. During this process, you will set the location for your photo collection, configure image preview behavior, and optionally download additional binary components for advanced features like face recognition.

Configure Collection Location

The first wizard page asks where digiKam should store its database and where your photo collection is located. For most users, the default locations work well. You can always add additional collection folders later through Settings.

Download Optional Binary Components

digiKam offers optional binary components for features that require external tools, including face detection models and deep learning components. If prompted, click “Download” to install these components. This step requires an internet connection but only occurs once.

Begin Using digiKam

After setup completes, digiKam scans your photo collection and builds its database. The main interface then provides access to albums, tags, timeline views, and search functionality. From here, you can start importing, organizing, and editing your photos immediately.

digiKam integrates well with KDE Plasma desktop but works on any Linux desktop environment. For the best KDE experience on Mint, consider installing KDE Plasma on Linux Mint.

Update digiKam

Keeping digiKam updated ensures you have the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches. However, the update method depends on how you installed the application.

Update APT Installation

If you installed digiKam via APT, updates are included in your regular system updates. To check for and apply updates specifically to digiKam:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade digikam

The --only-upgrade flag ensures APT only upgrades the package if it is already installed, preventing accidental installation.

Update Flatpak Installation

Since Flatpak applications are updated separately from system packages, check for and apply Flatpak updates with:

flatpak update

This command checks all installed Flatpak applications for available updates and applies them.

Update Source-Compiled Installation

If you compiled digiKam from source, updating requires pulling the latest code and rebuilding. Navigate to your source directory and fetch the latest changes:

cd ~/digikam-source
git fetch --tags
git tag -l "v8.*" | tail -5

Check out the desired version tag (or master for development builds), then rebuild:

git checkout v8.9.0
./bootstrap.linux
cd build
make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install/fast

Verify the updated version:

digikam --version

Remove digiKam

If you no longer need digiKam, uninstall it using the appropriate method based on how you originally installed the application.

Remove APT Installation

For an APT installation, remove digiKam with the following commands:

sudo apt remove digikam
sudo apt autoremove

The autoremove command cleans up orphaned dependencies that were installed with digiKam but are no longer needed.

To confirm removal, verify the package is no longer installed:

dpkg -l digikam 2>&1 | grep -E "no packages|not-installed"

Expected output:

dpkg-query: no packages found matching digikam

Remove Flatpak Installation

For the Flatpak version, remove digiKam along with its application data:

flatpak uninstall --delete-data org.kde.digikam -y

In this case, the --delete-data flag removes Flatpak-specific application data stored in ~/.var/app/org.kde.digikam/.

Remove Source-Compiled Installation

If you compiled digiKam from source using the bootstrap script (which installs to /usr by default), the project does not provide a make uninstall target. Instead, remove the installed files manually.

The following commands permanently delete the source-compiled installation, including the digiKam and Showfoto binaries, shared libraries, and application data. Ensure you have a backup of any custom configurations or plugins before proceeding.

sudo rm -rf /usr/bin/digikam /usr/bin/showfoto
sudo rm -rf /usr/share/digikam /usr/share/showfoto
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/digikam
rm -rf ~/digikam-source

Remove User Configuration Data

The following commands permanently delete your digiKam configuration files, database, and cached thumbnails. This includes your album organization, tags, ratings, and face recognition data. Your original photo files remain untouched, but export any metadata you want to keep before proceeding.

To completely remove digiKam user data after uninstalling the application:

rm -rf ~/.config/digikamrc ~/.config/digikam/
rm -rf ~/.local/share/digikam/

These directories contain your digiKam configuration, database files, and cached data.

Troubleshooting

digiKam Fails to Start

If digiKam fails to start or crashes immediately after launching, check the terminal output for error messages:

digikam 2>&1 | head -20

Common issues include missing Qt platform plugins or corrupted configuration files. If you see Qt-related errors, reinstall the related Qt libraries:

On Linux Mint 22.x:

sudo apt install --reinstall libqt5core5t64 libqt5gui5t64

On Linux Mint 21.x:

sudo apt install --reinstall libqt5core5a libqt5gui5

If the issue is a corrupted configuration rather than missing libraries, rename the existing config directory and restart digiKam to regenerate default settings:

mv ~/.config/digikam ~/.config/digikam.backup
digikam

Face Recognition Binary Download Fails

If the initial setup cannot download face recognition binaries, this is typically a network connectivity issue. Check your internet connection, and if you are behind a proxy, configure Qt to use your proxy settings. You can skip this step during initial setup and enable face recognition later through Settings, then Configure digiKam, then Miscellaneous, then Face Detection.

Missing Dependencies for Source Build

If the CMake configuration step during source compilation reports missing dependencies, the error output indicates which packages are required. Search for the missing library:

apt-cache search <library-name>-dev

After that, install the missing development package and run the bootstrap script again. If apt-cache search returns no results for libkf6*-dev packages, your Mint release does not include KDE Frameworks 6. In this case, use the Flatpak installation method to get the latest digiKam version.

Conclusion

You now have digiKam installed on Linux Mint, providing a complete solution for managing, editing, and organizing your photo collection. Whether you chose the stable APT package, the latest Flatpak release, or built from source, digiKam offers powerful features including RAW processing, face recognition, geotagging, and metadata editing. For additional photo editing capabilities, consider pairing digiKam with other graphics tools available on Mint, such as image editors for detailed manipulation or other KDE applications to enhance your desktop experience.