How to Install ImageMagick 7 on Ubuntu 26.04

ImageMagick handles resize, format changes, and batch image work from the terminal. On Ubuntu 26.04, sudo apt install imagemagick pulls ImageMagick 7, so you run magick—not the convert / identify pair you still see on 24.04 and 22.04.

After apt install, run a quick JPG-to-PNG test so you know read/write works. The source and AppImage sections are only for a newer upstream tag or a portable binary. When PDF conversion fails on files you trust, check /etc/ImageMagick-7/policy.xml before you loosen rules.

Quick answer

Common magick examples

Confirm your release with check Ubuntu version before you copy convert examples from older tutorials—those target ImageMagick 6 on Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04.

ImageMagick 7 on Ubuntu 26.04

Ubuntu 26.04 ships ImageMagick 7 in apt (imagemagick-7.q16 and imagemagick-7-common from universe). Run conversions with magick (for example magick input.jpg output.png). Policy files live under /etc/ImageMagick-7/.

     ┌─────────────────────────┐
     │    Ubuntu 26.04 LTS     │
     └────────────┬────────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
     ┌─────────────────────────┐
     │     ImageMagick 7       │
     └────────────┬────────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
     ┌─────────────────────────┐
     │   magick (primary CLI)  │
     └─────────────────────────┘

A convert compatibility binary may still be on disk; for new scripts, stick with magick so you match current ImageMagick docs.

Choose an install method

APT is the default. Compile or grab an AppImage only when apt’s build is not enough.

Install ImageMagick on Ubuntu 26.04 with APT

Refresh package indexes

Refresh apt indexes first—the usual apt pattern is update, then install:

sudo apt update

Install the ImageMagick package

Install the metapackage:

sudo apt install -y imagemagick

APT pulls imagemagick-7.q16 and related dependencies automatically.

Verify the installed version

Check the ImageMagick 7 CLI:

magick --version

Version: ImageMagick 7.1.2-18 Q16 x86_64 23822 https://imagemagick.org
Copyright: (C) 1999 ImageMagick Studio LLC
License: https://imagemagick.org/license/

The Q16 line means this build uses 16-bit quantum depth per color channel.

Check which ImageMagick packages are installed

List installed DEB packages when you need the exact installed package version. The dpkg command -l filter is the usual check:

dpkg -l 'imagemagick*'

ii  imagemagick           8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1 amd64  image manipulation programs -- binaries
ii  imagemagick-7-common  8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1 all    image manipulation programs -- infrastructure
ii  imagemagick-7.q16     8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1 amd64  image manipulation programs -- quantum depth Q16

See what Ubuntu would install before you run apt

When ImageMagick is not installed yet, apt-cache policy shows the candidate version:

apt-cache policy imagemagick

imagemagick:
  Installed: 8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1
  Candidate: 8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1
  Version table:
 *** 8:7.1.2.18+dfsg1-1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute/universe amd64 Packages

On 26.04, Candidate should be a 7.1.x line, not 6.9.x.

Test ImageMagick with a simple image conversion

Convert JPG to PNG

Make a scratch directory, then build a solid-color JPEG:

mkdir -p /tmp/im-test

Fill a tiny red rectangle and save it as JPEG:

magick -size 120x80 xc:red /tmp/im-test/input.jpg

magick does not print anything on success, so convert to PNG:

magick /tmp/im-test/input.jpg /tmp/im-test/output.png

ls should show the new PNG:

ls -l /tmp/im-test/output.png

-rw-r--r-- 1 user user 319 Oct 20 16:24 /tmp/im-test/output.png

Resize an image

Shrink the test image to half size:

magick /tmp/im-test/input.jpg -resize 50% /tmp/im-test/resized.jpg

Read metadata with identify

identify prints geometry and format without writing a new file. On ImageMagick 7, call it through magick:

magick identify /tmp/im-test/output.png

/tmp/im-test/output.png PNG 120x80 120x80+0+0 8-bit sRGB 2c 319B 0.000u 0:00.000

For more resize and batch recipes, see bulk resize and convert images in Linux. Desktop capture is a different job—import grabs X11 regions, or see Linux screenshot tools.

Optional: Install a newer ImageMagick 7 release from source

When source installation makes sense

Compile from source when you need:

• A newer upstream release than Ubuntu ships
• Delegate libraries not enabled in Ubuntu’s package
• Custom ./configure options

Do not clone the default branch without a tag; upstream documents cloning a release tag with --depth 1 for reproducible builds.

Install build tools and delegates

Required toolchain and common delegate headers:

sudo apt install -y git build-essential pkg-config libjpeg-dev libpng-dev libtiff-dev libwebp-dev libfreetype6-dev libxml2-dev liblcms2-dev

For PDF and PostScript rasterization, also install Ghostscript (see the delegates section below).

Download and compile ImageMagick

Clone a tagged release (example tag 7.1.2-34—pick the current release from upstream when you build). Use git clone with --branch and --depth 1:

git clone --depth 1 --branch 7.1.2-34 https://github.com/ImageMagick/ImageMagick.git ~/ImageMagick-src

Move into the source tree:

cd ~/ImageMagick-src

Run the configure script so the build detects delegates and headers on your system:

./configure

The summary at the end of ./configure lists DELEGATES it detected (for example jpeg, png, tiff). If a format you need is missing, install the -dev package for that library and re-run ./configure.

Compile with parallel jobs:

make -j"$(nproc)"

Install binaries and libraries (this places files under /usr/local by default):

sudo make install

Refresh the dynamic linker cache so the system sees /usr/local/lib:

sudo ldconfig /usr/local/lib

Verify the source installation

Check that /usr/local/bin precedes /usr/bin when both exist:

which magick

The version string should match the tag you built:

magick --version

If which magick still points at /usr/bin/magick from apt, adjust PATH for your session so /usr/local/bin wins, or remove the apt imagemagick packages before you rely on the source build.

Optional: Run ImageMagick with AppImage

ImageMagick publishes AppImage builds of ImageMagick 7 for Linux on its download page:

• The AppImage file is the magick executable itself—not a wrapper you invoke as AppImage magick …
• Download the current x86_64 build, make it executable, and optionally rename it for shorter commands

Example setup:

chmod +x ImageMagick-*-x86_64.AppImage

Rename the file so later commands can call ./magick like a normal binary:

mv ImageMagick-*-x86_64.AppImage magick

Check the version without a system install:

./magick --version

A conversion uses the same binary: ./magick input.jpg output.png.

Upstream’s AppImage currently ships with an open security policy by default. If you process untrusted files, define a policy.xml appropriate for your environment before using the AppImage in production—see ImageMagick’s security policy guidance.

Install extra delegates for additional formats

Ghostscript for PDF and PostScript

PDF conversion requires a delegate (usually Ghostscript). Install it alongside ImageMagick:

sudo apt install -y ghostscript

Confirm Ghostscript is on disk before you retry PDF conversion:

dpkg -l ghostscript

ii  ghostscript  10.06.0~dfsg-3ubuntu1.1 amd64  interpreter for the PostScript language and for PDF

Even with Ghostscript installed, security policy can still block PDF/PS coders on some systems. Fix policy only for trusted workloads (next section).

Development headers for MagickWand

C, C++, or language bindings that compile against ImageMagick need libmagickwand-7.q16-dev (and related libmagickcore-7 dev packages) on Ubuntu 26.04. Install the dev package that matches your installed major version, then rebuild your application.

ImageMagick security policy on Ubuntu 26.04

ImageMagick reads policy.xml to limit delegates, coders, and resource use. On Ubuntu 26.04 the default path is /etc/ImageMagick-7/policy.xml.

List coder-related rules before you change anything:

grep -E 'pattern="(PDF|PS|EPS)"' /etc/ImageMagick-7/policy.xml

On a stock 26.04 install, PDF is often allowed while other coders stay tight—read the file on your machine before you change anything.

When PDF conversion fails with a policy error on trusted documents:

• Adjust only the minimum rule required (for example a specific <policy domain="coder" … pattern="PDF" /> entry)
• Keep backups before you edit policy.xml
• Avoid blanket rights="none" removals on production systems that handle user uploads

ImageMagick documents policy design on its security policy page.

Troubleshooting

When apt reports Unable to locate package imagemagick, enable the universe component and run sudo apt update before you retry the install. On cloud and minimal images without add-apt-repository, install software-properties-common first — see add-apt-repository command not found.

Uninstall ImageMagick

Remove the APT package

Remove the metapackage when you no longer need the tools:

sudo apt remove imagemagick

To drop configuration files as well, use purge (see remove software on Ubuntu for remove vs purge):

sudo apt purge imagemagick

Clean up unused dependencies afterward:

sudo apt autoremove

Read the removal list before you confirm autoremove; see remove unused packages on Ubuntu for how autoremove differs from purge.

Remove a source installation

From the same source directory where you ran make install:

cd ~/ImageMagick-src

Reverse the install with the makefile uninstall target:

sudo make uninstall

If you deleted the source tree, check out the same release tag again before running make uninstall. Run sudo ldconfig after uninstall so the linker cache matches what remains on disk.

Summary

On 26.04, sudo apt install imagemagick gives you ImageMagick 7. magick --version and dpkg -l 'imagemagick*' are the quick checks; a one-file magick input.jpg output.png run tells you read/write works.

Source or AppImage only matter when apt’s version is too old, you need extra delegates, or you want a standalone binary. Add Ghostscript for PDF/PostScript, and touch /etc/ImageMagick-7/policy.xml only when you understand the security trade-off—not as a blanket fix on boxes that take uploads from strangers.

Still on 24.04 or 22.04? Use the other guide and convert syntax so your scripts match what those releases actually install.

References

• ImageMagick — official site
• ImageMagick download and source build
• ImageMagick security policy
• Ubuntu Packages — imagemagick