How to Install digiKam on Ubuntu (26.04, 24.04, 22.04)

digiKam is a free, open-source photo manager that helps you organize, tag, and edit large image collections directly on your Ubuntu desktop. Whether you have thousands of family photos that need sorting or you shoot RAW files that need a proper catalog, digiKam gives you face recognition, metadata editing, geotagging, and non-destructive adjustments all in one app. This guide walks you through installing digiKam on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, or 22.04 using whichever method fits your setup, then covers first-run configuration, updates, and clean removal. No PPA is needed because digiKam is already available in Ubuntu repositories.

Install digiKam on Ubuntu

Start with a standard package index refresh, then choose your installation method below.

Update Ubuntu Before Installing digiKam

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This guide uses sudo for commands that require elevated privileges. If your account is not configured for sudo, follow the LinuxCapable guide on how to add a new user to sudoers on Ubuntu.

Install digiKam with APT (Recommended)

The APT method is the most stable option for Ubuntu desktop users and integrates cleanly with system libraries.

sudo apt install digikam

Verify the APT digiKam Installation

dpkg-query -W -f='${Package} ${Version}\n' digikam

digikam 4:8.8.0-2ubuntu4

Choose Your digiKam Installation Method on Ubuntu

Use this comparison table to choose the right digiKam installation channel for your workflow.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT (Default Repository)	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Automatic through APT updates	Most users who want stable, distro-integrated packages
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable on Flathub	Manual through Flatpak updates	Users who want newer releases across Ubuntu versions
Snap	Snapcraft	Stable channel, can lag Flathub	Automatic background updates	Users already using the Snap workflow
Source Compilation	digiKam Git Build Docs	Git master or selected tag	Manual rebuild required	Advanced users on Ubuntu 26.04 needing custom builds

For most users, the APT method is recommended because it has the lowest maintenance cost and tracks Ubuntu security updates. Use Flatpak when you need a newer release than your Ubuntu base repository provides.

Compare Default digiKam Versions by Ubuntu Release

APT package versions differ by Ubuntu release, while Flatpak and Snap use their own distribution channels.

Ubuntu Release	Default digiKam Package	Repository	Notes
Ubuntu 26.04	4:8.8.x	resolute/universe	Newest Ubuntu default package branch
Ubuntu 24.04	4:8.2.x	noble-updates/universe	Stable LTS branch with updates
Ubuntu 22.04	4:7.5.x	jammy/universe	Older LTS branch

The install commands are the same across Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04, but APT delivers different digiKam versions by release.

Install digiKam with Flatpak on Ubuntu

Flatpak is not installed by default on Ubuntu. If you need setup steps first, use the LinuxCapable guide on how to install Flatpak on Ubuntu.

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --system flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

The --system flag installs the Flathub remote for all local users, which matches the system-wide Flatpak commands used in this guide.

flatpak remotes --system | grep flathub

flathub  system

sudo flatpak install --system flathub org.kde.digikam -y

flatpak list --app --system | grep org.kde.digikam

digiKam  org.kde.digikam  8.8.0  stable  system

Install digiKam with Snap on Ubuntu

Ubuntu includes Snap by default on standard installations. If snap is missing in minimal, WSL, or container environments, install it first with sudo apt install snapd.

sudo snap install digikam

snap info digikam | grep -E '^tracking:|^installed:'

tracking:  latest/stable
installed: 8.7.0 (101) 227MB -

Build digiKam from Source on Ubuntu 26.04

This method is for advanced users who need a custom build. For most users, APT, Flatpak, or Snap is easier to maintain.

Native source builds for current digiKam 8.x dependencies are practical on Ubuntu 26.04. Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 do not provide the required KF6 development packages in default repositories.

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

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

digiKam’s upstream bootstrap.linux script defaults to Qt5 mode. Switch it to Qt6 mode for Ubuntu 26.04 and use /usr/local as the install prefix for safer cleanup later.

sed -i 's/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=0/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=1/' bootstrap.linux
export DIGIKAM_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
./bootstrap.linux

Qt      Install Path : /usr/lib/qt6
digiKam Install Path : /usr/local
Build Directory      : /home/<user>/digikam-source/build.qt6
Build for Qt6        : 1

cd build.qt6
cmake --build . -j"$(nproc)"
sudo cmake --install .

/usr/local/bin/digikam --version

digiKam 8.x.x

Use an Update Script for Source-Built digiKam on Ubuntu 26.04 (Optional)

If you prefer a repeatable update path, place this script at /usr/local/bin/update-digikam-source.sh. It checks required tools, validates the source tree, compares local and remote commits, rebuilds only when needed, and verifies the installed binary.

nano ~/update-digikam-source.sh

In nano, paste the script, then save with Ctrl+O, press Enter, and exit with Ctrl+X.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e

REPO_DIR="$HOME/digikam-source"
BUILD_DIR="$REPO_DIR/build.qt6"
INSTALL_BIN="/usr/local/bin/digikam"

if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "Run this script as a regular user, not root."
  exit 1
fi

for cmd in git cmake sed nproc sudo; do
  CMD_PATH=$(command -v "$cmd" || true)
  if [ -z "$CMD_PATH" ]; then
    echo "Missing required command: $cmd"
    exit 1
  fi
done

if [ ! -d "$REPO_DIR/.git" ]; then
  echo "Source repository not found at $REPO_DIR"
  echo "Clone it first: git clone https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam.git ~/digikam-source"
  exit 1
fi

cd "$REPO_DIR"

if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
  echo "Local changes detected in $REPO_DIR. Commit or stash them before updating."
  exit 1
fi

if [ -x "$INSTALL_BIN" ]; then
  CURRENT_VERSION=$("$INSTALL_BIN" --version | head -n 1)
else
  CURRENT_VERSION="none"
fi

echo "Current installed version: $CURRENT_VERSION"
echo "Checking upstream commits..."
git fetch origin
LOCAL_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
REMOTE_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse origin/master)

echo "Local commit:  $LOCAL_COMMIT"
echo "Remote commit: $REMOTE_COMMIT"

if [ "$LOCAL_COMMIT" = "$REMOTE_COMMIT" ]; then
  echo "Already up to date."
  exit 0
fi

git pull --ff-only origin master
sed -i 's/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=0/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=1/' bootstrap.linux
export DIGIKAM_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local

./bootstrap.linux
cd "$BUILD_DIR"
cmake --build . -j"$(nproc)"
sudo cmake --install .

echo "Update complete."
"$INSTALL_BIN" --version

sudo install -m 0755 ~/update-digikam-source.sh /usr/local/bin/update-digikam-source.sh
/usr/local/bin/update-digikam-source.sh

Current installed version: digiKam 8.x.x
Checking upstream commits...
Local commit:  8e4a4862f5e1a6dc76a395e5924094a2ad0969d6
Remote commit: 8e4a4862f5e1a6dc76a395e5924094a2ad0969d6
Already up to date.

Avoid running source-compile update scripts from cron. Run this script manually so you can catch dependency, build, or install failures before they affect your system.

For full dependency matrix updates and advanced compile flags, follow the official upstream guide at digiKam Download from GIT.

Launch digiKam on Ubuntu

Use the launch command that matches your install method.

Launch digiKam from Terminal on Ubuntu

APT and source installs use the same command:

digikam

Flatpak launch command:

flatpak run org.kde.digikam

Snap launch command:

snap run digikam

Launch digiKam from the Ubuntu Applications Menu

Open the applications menu, search for digiKam, and start the app from its launcher icon.

Configure digiKam After Installation on Ubuntu

On first launch, digiKam starts a setup wizard for collections, database location, and optional binary components.

Set the digiKam Collection Location on Ubuntu

Choose where digiKam stores your photo library database and where your image folders live. You can add or change collection paths later in digiKam settings.

Download Optional digiKam Binary Components for Face Recognition

If prompted, allow digiKam to download optional binary components for machine-learning features such as face recognition.

Start Managing Photos in digiKam on Ubuntu

After setup, digiKam indexes your configured collection and opens the main workspace for albums, tags, ratings, search, and metadata editing.

digiKam runs on GNOME, KDE Plasma, and other Linux desktop environments. If you want tighter KDE integration, see the LinuxCapable guide on how to install KDE Plasma on Ubuntu.

Update digiKam on Ubuntu

Use the update command that matches your install method.

Update APT digiKam on Ubuntu

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

dpkg-query -W -f='${Package} ${Version}\n' digikam

digikam 4:8.8.0-2ubuntu4

Update Flatpak digiKam on Ubuntu

sudo flatpak update --system org.kde.digikam

flatpak list --app --system | grep org.kde.digikam

digiKam  org.kde.digikam  8.8.0  stable  system

Update Snap digiKam on Ubuntu

sudo snap refresh digikam

snap info digikam | grep -E '^tracking:|^installed:'

tracking:  latest/stable
installed: 8.7.0 (101) 227MB -

Update Source-Built digiKam on Ubuntu 26.04

cd ~/digikam-source
git pull --ff-only
sed -i 's/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=0/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=1/' bootstrap.linux
export DIGIKAM_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
./bootstrap.linux
cd build.qt6
cmake --build . -j"$(nproc)"
sudo cmake --install .

/usr/local/bin/digikam --version

digiKam 8.x.x

Remove digiKam from Ubuntu

Use the uninstall path for the method you originally chose.

Remove APT digiKam from Ubuntu

sudo apt remove --purge digikam
sudo apt autoremove

if dpkg -l digikam | grep -q '^ii'; then echo "digikam package is still installed"; else echo "digikam package not installed"; fi

digikam package not installed

Remove Flatpak digiKam from Ubuntu

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

flatpak list --app --system | grep org.kde.digikam || echo "org.kde.digikam not installed"

org.kde.digikam not installed

Remove Snap digiKam from Ubuntu

sudo snap remove digikam

snap list digikam || echo "digikam snap package not installed"

digikam snap package not installed

Remove Source-Built digiKam from Ubuntu

The next commands remove files that were installed from your source build. Review the paths before running them.

if [ -f ~/digikam-source/build.qt6/install_manifest.txt ]; then sudo xargs -a ~/digikam-source/build.qt6/install_manifest.txt rm -v; fi
rm -rf ~/digikam-source

if [ -x /usr/local/bin/digikam ]; then echo "/usr/local/bin/digikam still exists"; else echo "/usr/local/bin/digikam removed"; fi

/usr/local/bin/digikam removed

Remove digiKam User Data from Ubuntu

These commands permanently delete local digiKam settings, databases, and thumbnails. Export metadata or back up your digiKam database first if you need to keep your catalog state.

rm -rf ~/.config/digikamrc ~/.config/digikam/
rm -rf ~/.local/share/digikam/ ~/.cache/digikam/
rm -rf ~/.var/app/org.kde.digikam/

These removals do not delete your original photo files unless your photo library is stored inside one of the deleted digiKam data paths.

Troubleshoot digiKam on Ubuntu

Source Build Fails with “qtpaths” Error on Ubuntu

If the source bootstrap step fails, the terminal output usually shows this exact error:

This script require qtpaths CLI tool from Qt project but it's not installed. Aborting.

The upstream script defaults to Qt5 mode, so it calls qtpaths unless you switch it to Qt6 mode.

grep '^export BUILD_WITH_QT6' ~/digikam-source/bootstrap.linux

export BUILD_WITH_QT6=0

sudo apt install qt6-base-dev
cd ~/digikam-source
sed -i 's/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=0/export BUILD_WITH_QT6=1/' bootstrap.linux
export DIGIKAM_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
./bootstrap.linux

Build Directory      : /home/<user>/digikam-source/build.qt6
Build for Qt6        : 1

Source Build Dependencies Missing on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04

On Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04, required KF6 development packages are not in the default repositories. You will see errors like:

apt-cache show libkf6config-dev

E: No packages found

E: Unable to locate package libkf6config-dev
E: Unable to locate package libkf6coreaddons-dev

Use the Flatpak or Snap method on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04, or move source builds to Ubuntu 26.04 where KF6 packages are available.

flatpak list --app --system | grep org.kde.digikam

digiKam  org.kde.digikam  8.8.0  stable  system

Fix “digikam: command not found” After Ubuntu Installation

If you installed digiKam from Flatpak or Snap, the digikam command may not exist in your shell path.

bash: digikam: command not found

Launch digiKam with the command that matches your package format:

flatpak run org.kde.digikam
snap run digikam

Then verify the package source you installed. Run the command that matches your package format:

flatpak list --app --system | grep org.kde.digikam

digiKam  org.kde.digikam  8.8.0  stable  system

snap info digikam | grep '^installed:'

installed: 8.7.0 (101) 227MB -

digiKam on Ubuntu Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion on Installing digiKam on Ubuntu

You can now install digiKam on Ubuntu with a method that matches your maintenance style: APT for distro stability, Flatpak for newer releases, Snap for automatic refreshes, or a source build on Ubuntu 26.04 when you need full build control. For broader photo workflows, review LinuxCapable guides for Darktable on Ubuntu and GIMP on Ubuntu.