Whereas one of the simplest ways to view or manipulate picture recordsdata on Linux is to open them in your desktop for viewing or manipulating with instruments like Gimp, there are fairly just a few methods to get necessary particulars on the command line.
Figuring out picture sort by file extension
Usually, picture recordsdata might be recognized on the command line by itemizing their names. Clearly “.jpg” represents a jpeg file, “.png” a conveyable community graphics file, “.gif” a graphics interchange format file, “.tiff” a tagged picture file and so forth.
$ ls -l photos -rw-rw-r--. 1 shs shs 256093 Jul 15 2018 mycats.jpg -rw-r-----. 1 shs shs 784238 Jul 15 2018 mycats.png -rw-rw-r--. 1 shs shs 6760 Jul 15 2018 arrow.jpg -rw-r-----. 1 shs shs 8853 Jul 15 2018 arrow.png
Almost all the time you may depend on file extensions precisely reporting the file sort, however there’s extra you are able to do with further instructions.
Figuring out photos with the file command
The file command can establish picture file varieties by extracting knowledge from the recordsdata themselves.
$ file Emmy.jpg Emmy.jpg: JPEG picture knowledge, progressive, precision 8, 704x584, parts 3
The file under is clearly a jpg file regardless of its title. The output from the file command reviews this.
$ file camper.png camper.png: JPEG picture knowledge, JFIF commonplace 1.01, decision (DPI), density 72x72, section size 16, Exif Commonplace: [TIFF image data, little-endian, direntries=11, manufacturer=samsung, model=SM-G935V, orientation=upper-left, xresolution=164, yresolution=172, resolutionunit=2, software=GIMP 2.8.18, datetime=2018:04:30 07:56:54, GPS-Data], progressive, precision 8, 3465x2717, parts 3
For many jpg recordsdata today, the file command will present much more particulars as within the examples above and under. This output consists of the file sort, decision particulars and fairly a little bit of details about the place the picture got here from and when it was taken.
$ file tulip_poplar.jpg tulip_poplar.jpg: JPEG picture knowledge, Exif commonplace: [TIFF image data, big-endian, direntries=11, yresolution=146, xresolution=154, model=SM-A526U, height=2448, manufacturer=samsung, software=A526USQS5CVC9, orientation=upper-left, datetime=2022:05:17 19:58:50, width=2448], baseline, precision 8, 2448x2448, parts 3
As you may see from the output above, the tulip_poplar.jpg file was taken on Might 17, 2022, with a Samsung cellular phone,
Viewing picture particulars utilizing an octal dump
You may view some picture particulars utilizing the od -bc (octal dump) command. Nonetheless, wanting past the primary couple of traces may also show parts of the picture itself that received’t be useful. The primary a part of the file incorporates “meta info” (knowledge that describes the content material fairly than the picture content material itself). For instance, the second line under identifies the file as a png file.
$ od -bc coconuts.png | head -4
0000000 211 120 116 107 015 012 032 012 000 000 000 015 111 110 104 122
211 P N G r n 032 n r I H D R
0000020 000 000 011 274 000 000 010 257 010 006 000 000 000 017 251 304
t 274 b 257 b 006 017 251 304
Extracting picture particulars utilizing exiftool
One other device for displaying picture metadata is exiftool. Within the instance command under, we are able to see intensive particulars on a png file.
$ exiftool coconuts.png ExifTool Model Quantity : 12.42 File Title : coconuts.png Listing : . File Measurement : 5.3 MB File Modification Date/Time : 2023:01:19 16:18:18-05:00 File Entry Date/Time : 2023:01:19 16:18:34-05:00 File Inode Change Date/Time : 2023:01:19 16:18:18-05:00 File Permissions : -rw-r--r-- File Kind : PNG File Kind Extension : png MIME Kind : picture/png Picture Width : 2492 Picture Top : 2223 Bit Depth : 8 Shade Kind : RGB with Alpha Compression : Deflate/Inflate Filter : Adaptive Interlace : Noninterlaced Pixels Per Unit X : 11811 Pixels Per Unit Y : 11811 Pixel Items : meters Profile Title : Photoshop ICC profile Warning : Set up Compress::Zlib to learn compressed info ICC Profile : (Binary knowledge 2616 bytes, use -b choice to extract) White Level X : 0.31269 White Level Y : 0.32899 Purple X : 0.63999 Purple Y : 0.33001 Inexperienced X : 0.3 Inexperienced Y : 0.6 Blue X : 0.15 Blue Y : 0.05999 Picture Measurement : 2492x2223 Megapixels : 5.5
The file under was taken in 2016. The main points saved inside the picture file itself are extremely intensive. It consists of not solely particulars about when the photograph was taken, but in addition the place it was taken. Word the GPS longitude and latitude measurements close to the underside.
$ exiftool myboy.jpg ExifTool Model Quantity : 12.42 File Title : myboy.jpg Listing : . File Measurement : 3.4 MB File Modification Date/Time : 2021:05:25 15:31:09-04:00 File Entry Date/Time : 2023:01:01 15:44:38-05:00 File Inode Change Date/Time : 2021:05:25 15:31:09-04:00 File Permissions : -rw-r--r-- File Kind : JPEG File Kind Extension : jpg MIME Kind : picture/jpeg Exif Byte Order : Little-endian (Intel, II) Make : samsung Digital camera Mannequin Title : SM-G935V Orientation : Rotate 90 CW X Decision : 72 Y Decision : 72 Decision Unit : inches Software program : G935VVRU2APD2 Modify Date : 2016:06:16 13:54:56 Y Cb Cr Positioning : Centered Publicity Time : 1/245 F Quantity : 1.7 Publicity Program : Program AE ISO : 50 Exif Model : 0220 Date/Time Unique : 2016:06:16 13:54:56 Create Date : 2016:06:16 13:54:56 Parts Configuration : Y, Cb, Cr, - Shutter Velocity Worth : 1/245 Aperture Worth : 1.7 Brightness Worth : 5.2 Publicity Compensation : 0 Max Aperture Worth : 1.7 Metering Mode : Heart-weighted common Gentle Supply : Unknown Flash : No Flash Focal Size : 4.2 mm Maker Word Model : 0100 System Kind : Cell Telephone Uncooked Information Byte Order : Little-endian (Intel, II) Uncooked Information CFA Sample : Swap Face Detect : Off Person Remark : . Flashpix Model : 0100 Shade House : sRGB Exif Picture Width : 4032 Exif Picture Top : 3024 Interoperability Index : R98 - DCF primary file (sRGB) Interoperability Model : 0100 Sensing Methodology : One-chip coloration space Scene Kind : Immediately photographed Publicity Mode : Auto White Steadiness : Auto Focal Size In 35mm Format : 26 mm Scene Seize Kind : Commonplace Picture Distinctive ID : C12QSJB01SB GPS Latitude Ref : North GPS Longitude Ref : West GPS Altitude Ref : Unknown (1.7) GPS Time Stamp : 17:54:32 GPS Date Stamp : 2016:06:16 Compression : JPEG (old-style) Thumbnail Offset : 6142 Thumbnail Size : 15400 Picture Width : 4032 Picture Top : 3024 Encoding Course of : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding Bits Per Pattern : 8 Shade Parts : 3 Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:2:0 (2 2) Time Stamp : 2016:06:16 13:54:56-04:00 Aperture : 1.7 Picture Measurement : 4032x3024 Megapixels : 12.2 Scale Issue To 35 mm Equal: 6.2 Shutter Velocity : 1/245 Thumbnail Picture : (Binary knowledge 15400 bytes, use -b choice to extract) GPS Altitude : 0 m Above Sea Stage GPS Date/Time : 2016:06:16 17:54:32Z GPS Latitude : 39 deg 3' 8.04" N GPS Longitude : 78 deg 22' 13.80" W Circle Of Confusion : 0.005 mm Discipline Of View : 69.4 deg Focal Size : 4.2 mm (35 mm equal: 26.0 mm) GPS Place : 39 deg 3' 8.04" N, 78 deg 22' 13.80" W Hyperfocal Distance : 2.14 m Gentle Worth : 10.5
In fact, I am now very inquisitive about that “Circle Of Confusion” area! Extra info on the exiftool output is obtainable in an earlier column, What do your pictures find out about you?
Viewing photos in ASCII
One other approach to take a look at photos on the command line is to make use of a device that shows picture content material in character format. In others phrases, the picture is displayed as characters and, for some instruments, each characters and colours to copy the picture. How properly this works will rely upon the picture itself and the device you employ. One such device is named img2txt. Had I included the colours within the picture under, you’d probably have the ability to acknowledge the penguin that’s waving at you.
$ img2txt penguin.png
@
S8X
S888
8888@88XX8 %@888@
;88percent88@@X888tS8 S8888@X
@SSpercenttS:8 8S8t8@:; ;@8888@8
t8;.;%SXX@888@@88 8S8888888@
88:.;%888@88X: @@ % X88888888@X
%X8;;88S8percentX88XS:.S 8 88@8888888@X
X8Spercentt8 ;:t8.St% 8%.;@ 88@8888888@@
St888X8888@ 8888;888X8 X8X888888888X
;t:X8888888888:888888S@8 X@X88@88@8@@
.S8888888@8@8@888tX% 888 8@88888888@
%@X888@%88SX8X8%@:S88@888 8888888@88
;tSS@8 88.8S888:8@%XS%:88888@@8888@8
SSSpercenttpercentSpercentX8 @888SX@X8percenttt88@X8@@8% .%
8XXSpercenttpercenttX8: 8XX@88:@;;;tS8percentS;%S; :% 8
XX ;%%t%%SXS@8; XX ;X;;;tt%%%%XS .:.%X.S 8
SX8@Spercent8Xpercent8XSpercentSpercentS8X8t;;;8%%%%%%tt;8%.:;;.%@. 888t
X8SX@@%XX%%@Xtpercentt;;;;8%%%%%%%%tt;;%8 ::.:.:% 8888
Wrap-up
Whereas viewing picture recordsdata on the command line will not be prone to generate deep emotions of nostalgia, you may extract quite a lot of fascinating picture particulars that inform you in regards to the sorts of photos, when and the place pictures had been taken, and how much machine was used to take the pictures.
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