Linux

There’s different and then there’s worse. I switched to Linux a few months ago and gimp fits the latter category more often than not

A good first step in learning anything new is to realize one's own opinion about it is just that: an opinion, not a fact. Then, it helps to keep in mind that one's expectations are also very often nothing more than the expression of previously acquired habits. Habits that also happen to be one of the hardest thing to change.

Gimp is not worse, nor is it better. It's a tool for anyone to use or to not use.

It's also not a clone of Photoshop, and I don't think it wants to become one. Does being its own thing make it "worse"? Maybe, for some users. You seem to be one of them. That’s OK.

What do I think of Gimp? I seldom have emotions towards tools, beside in the case of Free/Libre software a real feeling of gratitude for the people sharing them with all of us (making me even more willing to support them back). Those tools I either use them or I don't.

Like, no matter how impressive it is (and it is), I don't use Krita to sketch because I prefer sketching using a pen and paper instead of a screen or a tablet. Heck, I don't even use my iPad/Apple Pencil to sketch not even with the Procreate app I purchased many years ago.

It happens I do use Gimp on occasions, when I need to. And since I sometimes need to use Gimp I decided it was a good idea to learn to use it properly, to the best of my ability, aka by not comparing it to Photoshop (the app I had been using for almost 20 years before that) but by trying to understand its own logic. Am I an expert Gimp user? Lol, no. Will I ever be? Nope, I have no need to. Which is fine too.

The same with Darktable. Up until a few years ago I used to do a lot of photos. I had been doing phos since the late 70s. For the last 20 years or so I had been using raw file formats so I searched for an alternative to Lightroom. I tried hard to learn Darktable and I failed. No hard feelings, I simply realized it was not worth me doing all that learning since I was now doing so little photography I could as well stop using raw entirely, not a huge loss. Would I have been taking more pictures, and need raw, I would have kept a Mac with Lightroom for that purpose only. I know very few toolboxes that contain one single tool ;)

One last point that may be worth repeating, over and over again:

It's ok to not like something, an app, a book, music, a color, some food, or even a person. It just should not mean that that one thing/person is bad. There is no need to make it emotional.

If Gimp does not work for you, say like you switching to Ubuntu may not feel that good either compared to your previous OS, then there is no harm in moving back to your previous app and OS, or to try different ones.

Before settling on Linux Mint myself, which I have been using for the last 6 or 7 years (already? Time flies!) I tested Debian, and before that I tested Arch, and before Arch I first tested... Ubuntu. Mint just felt best for my own needs back then.

Those instructions are likely all that Photoshop is doing behind the scenes, more or less. Having to do it manually gives you control over all aspects. Want to feather the selection, to make a glow effect? You can do that. Want to make the outline a rainbow gradient? You can do that too. Want to make the outline a cutout of another picture? Turn the selection into a mask and apply it to a layer with the picture you want. Make the outline blobby? Fill, blur, adjust levels.

GIMP does not have the same focus on usability that PS does. It's intended to be sufficient for your needs, without extra cruft and piles of macros that you can do yourself. This doesn't necessarily make it better, mind you - but after taking the time to learn GIMP, I haven't really missed Photoshop. (Especially after Adobe moved to their *^@# subscription model.

Text has an outline option in gimp.