This tutorial shows how to install the latest version of RawTherapee (5.13 updated) in all current Ubuntu releases!
RawTherapee, the free open-source raw image converter and digital photo processor, released version 5.13 recently on July 2026.
RawTherapee 5.13 features enhanced Gamut Compression tool with ability to set distance limits automatically and increased maximum values for the distance limits, adjustable highlight attenuation and new custom destination primaries option for Abstract Profile tool.
The release as well added new simple tone mapper called Michaelis-Menten for Selective Editing’s Equalization & Pre-Tone Mapping tool, new TRC based tone mapper in Selective Editing’s Color Appearance tool, new Recovery Based on Luminance Mask in Blur/Grain & Denoise tool, and new Capture Deconvolution method in Selective Editing’s Sharpening tool.
Other changes include:
- Improved HiDPI display support.
- Improved performance on ARM platform.
- New reset all preferences button.
- More cameras, raw formats, and color profiles support.
For more about the new 5.13 release, see the official changelog file in Github source page.
How to Install RawTherapee (5.13 Updated):
Option 1: AppImage
The software provides official Linux package via AppImage, which is available for downloading at the link below:
Once you got the package, right-click on it to open file ‘Properties’ dialog and add ‘executable as program’ permission. Finally, click the file to launch the photography processor.
NOTE: Ubuntu 22.04+ does not support AppImage out-of-the-box. In case it doesn’t work for you, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal and run command sudo apt install libfuse2 to enable it.
Option 2: Flatpak
RawTherapee is also available as Flatpak package that runs in sandbox environment. The package works in most Linux on amd64 and arm64 CPU platforms.
1. First, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and make sure the daemon package is installed by running command in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04 and higher:
sudo apt install flatpak
Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 16.04 user can get the package from this PPA.
2. Then, install Rawtherapee as Flatpak by running command:
flatpak install https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/com.rawtherapee.RawTherapee.flatpakref
Like normal package, you can search for and launch the flatpak app from either ‘Activities’ overview or system start menu depends on desktop environment.
Option 3: Ubuntu PPA
For those who prefer the native .deb packages, there’s also an unofficial PPA contains the packages for Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and Ubuntu 26.04. Also, the package support amd64, arm64 and armhf CPU architecture types.
NOTE: due to outdated system library, librsvg-2.0 in the case, the Ubuntu 20.04 build is stuck at version 5.10.
1. First, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/rawtherapee
2. Linux Mint users need to manually refresh system package cache after adding PPA, though it’s done automatically in Ubuntu now.
sudo apt update
3. Finally, install the RAW developer software by running command:
sudo apt install rawtherapee
Uninstall RawTherapee
Depends on which package you installed, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to uninstall the Flatpak:
flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.rawtherapee.RawTherapee
Also run flatpak uninstall --unused to clear useless runtime libraries.
For the .deb package, remove it by running command:
sudo apt remove --autoremove rawtherapee rawtherapee-data
Also remove PPA, either by removing source line via “Software & Updates” tool under Other Software tab, or by running command in terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/rawtherapee
And, for the AppImage, just delete the file in your folder.
