Every time I need to add an image to one of my posts, I use a very simple tool to upload it to my Flickr account first. Once the image is uploaded, all there is left to do is write the post and paste the corresponding URL from the Flickr site for every image you want to publish together with your article. Even though most tools out there used to perform this task were written for the Windows plataform, I know of a few that were written for the Linux community, such as F-Spot and FlickrUploadr. F-Spot is a great tool but somehow a bit too “heavy” for this very simple procedure. FlickUploadr on the other hand just feels right.

The first thing you need to do is download the source code for FlickrUploadr (this seems to be the latest version) into your home directory. Since this application requires certain python libraries that do not get installed during a default Ubuntu Linux instalation, the next logical step is to install the python2.4-dev package:

sudo apt-get install python2.4-dev

Instaling FlickrUploadr

Now, assuming that you have opened and decompressed the source code into your home directory and that your user name is godofredo (don’t ask me why this name… hehehe), navigate via the console to the newly created FlickrUploadr-0.6.0 folder and execute the instalation script:

sudo python setup.py install

Before you can say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” the program will be completely installed and ready to be used! You can now invoke FlickrUploadr from the console with the following comand:

Uploadr

But why use the console when you have a great windows manager like Gnome installed and available??? What do you say we create a very simple applet/shortcut to access FlickrUploadr from one of the Gnome bars? Alright! Let’s go then:

Creating the Applet

Click with the right button of your mouse into the upper Gnome task bar on your desktop e choose the option to add an applet. In the following pop up window choose to create a custom launcher.

Configuring the Applet

The next step would be to provide the information about the program to be launched through the applet:

Starting FlickrUploadr

Once we’re done, we can start FlickrUplodr by clicking on the finished applet:

Configuring FlickrUploadr

Now, drag and drop any image you want to upload into your Flickr account into the small area of FlickrUploader and watch the “magic”!

Parla!!!

Depending on your internet conection speed, it should take a few seconds (or minutes) for your image to be completely uploaded. You can then add any other adicional comments or tags.