GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 432763
File Save dialog confusing for first-time users who don't know image types
Last modified: 2008-01-15 13:26:19 UTC
The File Save dialog box is confusing for a new user who doesn't understand file extensions, particularly when they are editing a new image. Consider the following steps as a reasonably bold new user of the GIMP: Launch the GIMP See nothing to edit. By analogy with other GUI apps, choose File|New from the menu of the main window. Click "OK" in the dialog box that pops up. Make a couple changes to the new canvas presented, and then (also by analogy with other GUI apps) choose File|Save from the menu on the canvas. Give your new image a name (or stick with "untitled") and click "Save". An error message "Saving '/home/myusername/Untitled' failed: Unknown file type" As an experienced user, or someone who has knowledge of file extensions, this makes sense. As a new user, it might be frustrating to not know how to save an initial document. I suggest: If the image currently has no filetype associated with it, and the user doesn't put in an extension, and "save by extension" is selected (as i think it is by default, at least on debian etch), automatically save as an XCF, and append the .XCF extension.
I think this is a duplicate of bug #165684.
Indeed it is. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 165684 ***
Thanks for the pointer to that bug. I agree that it's the same one. Sorry that i didn't find it when i searched initially. I'm glad to see it's planned for GIMP 2.4. I just pulled the development version 2.3.15-1 from debian experimental to try it out, and it does resolve the described problem. Thanks for all your work on this. I look forward to the release of GIMP 2.4!