Flickr is an online photo management and sharing application created in 2004 and subsequently acquired by the web portal organisation, Yahoo! Inc. Flickr has a large user base that rely on this storage site to host and share their 6 billion images with family and friends. The application is particularly popular among the blogging community, but faces stiff competition from the likes of Picasa, Facebook, and others. There is a free version of Flickr which allows limited space. If users need more bandwidth, the ability to show HD video, archiving, and ad-free browsing, they can upgrade to a relatively inexpensive Pro account.
Whilst there have been no official Flickr tools released for Linux, the developers have made the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) available to software developers. The APIs allow Flickr to be integrated into other Linux software.
This article focuses on selecting the best small Linux utilities that support Flickr integration. These tools help users to edit, tag, download and upload images to and from a Linux computer and the Flickr service.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 5 useful Flickr tools. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to manage their Flickr account from a Linux machine.
We set out our verdict below, captured in a legendary LinuxLinks chart. The ratings only relate to the Flickr functionality offered by each program.
Let’s explore the 5 Flickr tools at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot, together with links to relevant resources.
| Flickr Tools | |
|---|---|
| Frogr | Manage your accounts in the Flickr image hosting website |
| digiKam | Has built-in support for Flickr |
| Shotwell | Personal photo management with Flickr support |
| GNOME Photos | Access, organize and share your photos on GNOME |
| Nautilus Flickr Uploader | Upload pictures to the Flickr service from the Nautilus file browser |
This article has been revamped in line with our recent announcement.
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |