Bulk Image Resizing

Looking for a native tool for bulk manipulation of images on Linux.


Enter two fantastic solutions:

• Nautilus Image Converter
  http://www.bitron.ch/software/nautilus-image-converter.php
  (package: nautilus-image-converter)
• Phatch Nautilus
  http://photobatch.stani.be/
  (package: phatch-nautilus)

Both are tools that integrate directly into Nautilus and allow you to modify the existing image or save a modified copy.


Nautilus Image Conver provides quick context menu options to resize or rotate and image or group of images.


Phatch likes to work always on a directory of images and provides more advanced editing functions in addition to resizing, such as rounding corners,  adding a background shadow, and watermarking.


Both are fantastic tools!

Windows, Mac, and other non-Linux users don't feel left out. Phatch is actually cross-platform! Still there's something for you too, keep reading the backstory.

While previewing Adobe Air, I tried the Shrink-o-Matic application. I found that I really liked it and the interface was great for clients who like to update their own websites, but don't understand (or want to) how to edit their images to an appropriate size.

After a few simple configurations (setting desired image size and output location), the application is as simple as dragging, dropping, then opening and using your newly resized images. It's worth looking up and trying out if your not a Linux user. (drop me a line and i can send you a step-by-step guide to setting it up.)

My PCs are not the latest and greatest, they are actually more like well aged wine, and they do their jobs very well (with Ubuntu). Running Adobe Air is a bit cumbersome so I wanted a native application that would run fast. That led me to find the great Linux applications listed above, which provide such a vast array of features that I no longer need Shrink-o-Matic (which is still a nice tool) and I can dump Adobe and Air (which makes me happy).

As a side note, I'm also a little biased against Adobe as from experience I fell their sales tactics are deceptive and they misuse/abuse open source and free software. That's not to say all of their end products are bad though.

The Windows7 Experience

Some observation from a recent (brief) encounter with Windows 7

• why does a "restart required" message show up under the win explorer icon in the taskbar? oh yeah, to trick us so we think an app is still running when we restart :D
• given two windows partially overlapping. was it planned that tool tips for the lower window would appear under the other window? (Gnome's window management works so productively for me that everything else just seems icky. Way to go Gnome team!)
• window and scroll wheel focus are a real annoyance to me. They just slow me down too much to have to click every window I want to use. (again Gnome gives me max productivity)

After getting used to the feel of Win7 and copping with the inconveniences, I do see some major improvements in the OS. Here's the way I figure.

• XP added new features/utilities and later quick-added some for security issues
• These were not bad ideas but lacked in user-interface/interaction
  (they were annoying)
• Vista fixed many of those so they were not (as) annoying and added other new features/utilities
• again not bad ideas but lacking in user-interface/interaction
  (again they were annoying)
• Repeat the same for Windows 7.

The cycle makes some sense in that after enough complaints and feedback it's easy to see a better solution to something. Would be nice though if they received enough feedback from beta testing to clean up the annoyances before resleasing (aka a Windows that stayed out of the way and let me do what I need to do... quickly)

Although I think some of the features and UI changes may actually increase the learning curve for noobs, it is actually not that bad an OS to use.

A few UI things I do like

• Automatically rotating wallpapers
  (Linux users see Gnome Wallpaper Tray applet)
• Handling of taskbar icons/applications (for the most part)
• Ability to show taskbar icons only or icons with labels
  (although the menu to change this setting seems miss-worded)
• popup previews of application windows
• application specific options on right-click
• application window coming to front when hovering over preview
• curved and colored highligh behind running application icons.
• color varies by app
• makes feel more organic
• show desktop in bottom right that frames all windows and displays desktop
• Auto versioning / previous versions of files
  (sounds good although i never played with it)

And one item that I have yet to decide if I like or dislike (i'm mixed between, perception, functinality, and reality)

• multiple tabs in IE (and other tabbed apps) show as multiple windows in taskbar preview. Useful? Confusing? Annoying? Beneficial? I'm still in the air.
  
• clicking preview brings up IE and that tab gets focus (I like that)
• it seems missleading since they are tabs in the same window, especially with IE as it still like to open WAY to many new windows for my liking.
• although functionally, it seems a productivity booster

It was interesting to see some of the new features and improvements, but it come nowhere near swaying me from Ubuntu Linux and Gnome desktop. Linux is still simply the fastest, most efficient, and enjoyable way for me to work.