How to create Animated GIFs with Peek on Ubuntu

Creating animated GIFs is a great way to capture and share quick, visual demonstrations of processes or software. Whether you’re a developer looking to showcase a workflow or just want to share something fun, making GIFs directly from your screen on Ubuntu is simple and efficient. In this guide, I’ll walk you through using a lightweight tool called Peek to create GIFs on Ubuntu.

Why Use Peek?

Peek is a handy application that lets you easily record your screen and save the output as a GIF. It’s user-friendly and designed specifically for creating short, high-quality animations from screen recordings.

Installation on Ubuntu

To get started, you’ll need to install Peek using the following steps:

Add the Peek Repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peek-developers/stable

Update your package list:

sudo apt update

Install Peek:

sudo apt install peek

How to Use Peek for Recording GIFs

Once installed, you can open Peek by typing `peek` in your terminal or searching for it in your applications menu. Here’s how to use it:

Launch Peek:

   Open your terminal and type:

peek

Set Up the Recording Area:

 Peek will open a small window that can be resized to cover the area of the screen you want to record. Adjust the window size as needed. Here I have select my browser screen to select network monitor.

Start Recording:

 When you are ready, click the “Record” button. Peek will start recording everything within the selected area.

Stop Recording:

Once you’re done, click the “Stop” button. Peek will automatically save the recording as a GIF.

Save and Share Your GIF:

After you stop recording, Peek will prompt you to save the GIF file. You can then share it, embed it in a blog post, or use it for documentation.

Here is my GIF output.

Use Cases for GIFs

– Demonstrating Software Features: If you’re a developer or designer, GIFs can be an excellent way to showcase your application’s functionality.

– How-to Guides: Adding GIFs to tutorials makes it easier for readers to follow along visually.

– Bug Reporting: Capturing a bug in action can help developers quickly understand and resolve the issue.

Conclusion

Peek is a simple yet powerful tool for creating GIFs on Ubuntu. Whether for documentation or fun, this tool makes it easy to capture and share screen recordings in a highly portable and visually appealing format. Give it a try, and start creating GIFs with ease!