How to Install The Latest Darktable 2.0.5 in Ubuntu 16.04

While Ubuntu 16.04 offers the Darktable 2.0.3 in its main archive, here’s how to install the latest Darktable (so far, it’s 2.0.5) in Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubuntu 14.04 via PPA, and keep it up-to-date by receiving future updates along with other System updates via Software Updater.

Darktable changes from 2.0.3 to current 2.0.5 release:

• Support grayscale input profiles
• Add a BRG profile for testing purposes
• Add geolocation to watermark variables
• GTK 3.20 and various other fixes.
• Base support for Canon EOS 80D (no mRAW/sRAW support!), Nikon D5, and Sony ILCA-68.
• Newest changes always available in the release page.

Install Darktable 2.0.5 in Ubuntu 16.04 / 14.04:

Darktable developers offer an official Ubuntu PPA. So you can always install the latest release via the following steps in all support Ubuntu releases.

1. Add Darktable PPA

Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pmjdebruijn/darktable-release

Type in your password (no visual feedback, just type in mind) when prompts and hit Enter.

2. Install or upgrade the workflow software:

For those who have a previous release installed, launch Software Updater and Darktable should be available for upgrade after checking for updates.

Or run the command below in terminal to install or upgrade it:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install darktable && sudo apt upgrade

3. (Optional) For any issue, you can restore the stock version of Darktable in your Ubuntu release via terminal command:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:pmjdebruijn/darktable-release

The command installs ppa-purge, then purges the PPA that automatically removes the installed packages from that repository, and re-install the old ones from Ubuntu’s main archive.