Make the exiftool a part of Linux Mint

[PurpleSmurf2]

The exiftool should become a part of the Linux Mint distribution because it is simply very useful to display and or change metadata of all kinds of files. Then you can also insert nice scripts in the context menu that allow you to display all metadata by right-clicking on the file. Here is an unfinished example script (exiftool and zenity is required):

#!/bin/bash

# Function to display metadata in a zenity dialog
show_metadata() {
    local_file="$1"
    # Try to read metadata with exiftool
    if exiftool "$local_file" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
        # Read metadata
        metadata=$(exiftool "$local_file")
        
        # Prepare formatted output
        # Split lines into key: value
        # Separate key and value and format nicely
        max_key_length=0

        # First pass to determine the maximum key length
        echo "$metadata" | while IFS= read -r line; do
            # Split line at colon
            if echo "$line" | grep -q ':'; then
                key=$(echo "$line" | cut -d':' -f1)
                # Trim whitespace
                key=$(echo "$key" | sed 's/^[ \t]*//;s/[ \t]*$//')
                if [ ${#key} -gt $max_key_length ]; then
                    max_key_length=${#key}
                fi
            fi
        done

        # Second pass to format the output
        while IFS= read -r line; do
            if echo "$line" | grep -q ':'; then
                key=$(echo "$line" | cut -d':' -f1)
                value=$(echo "$line" | cut -d':' -f2-)
                # Trim whitespace
                key=$(echo "$key" | sed 's/^[ \t]*//;s/[ \t]*$//')
                value=$(echo "$value" | sed 's/^[ \t]*//;s/[ \t]*$//')
                # Format: key left-aligned, value right after colon
                printf "%-*s : %s
" "$max_key_length" "$key" "$value"
            fi
        done <<< "$metadata" > formatted_metadata.txt

        # Read formatted content into a variable
        formatted_metadata=$(cat formatted_metadata.txt)

        # Optional: Adjust line breaks for zenity
        # Replace line breaks with \n for zenity
        formatted_metadata=$(echo "$formatted_metadata" | sed ':a;N;$!ba;s/\n/\\n/g')

        # Show metadata in a zenity dialog
        zenity --info --title="Metadata for $local_file" \
            --width=500 \
            --height=500 \
            --text="$formatted_metadata" \
            --ok-label="Close"

        # Cleanup
        rm -f formatted_metadata.txt
    else
        # Error reading the file
        notify-send "Error" "The file '$local_file' is not a valid image or metadata could not be read."
    fi
}

# Main function
main() {
    # If files are passed as arguments, use them
    if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
        files=("$@")
    else
        # Select multiple files
        files=$(zenity --file-selection --multiple --title="Select one or more files" --separator='|')
        # If no file selected
        if [ -z "$files" ]; then
            exit 0
        fi
        IFS='|' read -r -a files <<< "$files"
    fi

    # For each file, display metadata
    for file in "${files[@]}"; do
        if [ -e "$file" ]; then
            show_metadata "$file"
        else
            notify-send "Error" "The file '$file' does not exist."
        fi
    done
}

main "$@"

[cplittlfield]

You should be able to install this package from the Software Manager or from the command line.

[PurpleSmurf2]

Following this argument you don't need a desktop environment. You could compile your own linux and choose you own desktop later from command line.

I mean there was no problem with putting yt-dlp in the system which is always out of date.

[Jopp-gh]

Exiftool is indeed an excellent tool for viewing/manipulating metadata of any kind and should be the standard on Linux AND be used by the main file/folder navigator as well.

Nemo should use its features because Exiftool is too difficult for the average user, imo.

For those instead, with bash and other code languages knowledge, Exiftool is always handy for advanced use.

[Axel-Erfurt]

I use this nemo action for exiftool details

[Nemo Action]
Name=show Metadata
Name[de]=zeige Details
Comment=exiftool Details
Icon-Name=image
Exec=sh -c 'exiftool %F > /tmp/tmp.txt && yad --title "%f" --width 600 --height 700 --text-info < /tmp/tmp.txt'
Selection=s
Quote=double
EscapeSpaces=false
Mimetypes=image/jpeg;image/png

[PurpleSmurf2]

cool! As a complement I have added a nemo action to remove metadata.

[Nemo Action]
Name=Remove Metadata
Name[de]=Metadaten entfernen
Comment=Remove Metadata from %f 
Icon-Name=edit-cut
Exec=sh -c 'exiftool -all= %F'
Selection=s
Quote=double
EscapeSpaces=false
Mimetypes=image/*;video/*;application/pdf;