Every time they update the gimp, it feels less and less usable
What is this?
(print:21669): Gtk-WARNING **: 07:35:11.617: Theme parsing error: gtk.css:187:34: The :inconsistent pseudo-class is deprecated. Use :indeterminate instead.
** (print:21669): WARNING **: 07:35:11.900: failed to contact colord: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.ColorManager: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
why would the gimp need colord? Why does the free desktop need it?
It doesn't. I don't have colord and my gimp starts all right.
Please address your rhetorical questions anywhere else. In technical sections of this forum they are quite useless and flame provocative. Thank you.
so, why does it call for colord which it doesn't need?
Possibly something related to ICC color profiles:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ICC_profiles (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ICC_profiles)
gimp may be checking if colord has set anything which would affect the color space used. There are several standards that include varying portions of the visible light spectrum, so some colors could be displayed incorrectly or not at all if conflicting standards are used. I haven't examined what appears to be a complex subject in any real depth though, so don't rely too heavily on that summary!
It's an optional dependency that helps address the subset of GIMP users that needs to work with color profiles (e.g. designers which work with print).
AFAIK, getting Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1 as an error message instead of The name was not provided by any .service files means the package (or at least an org.freedesktop.ColorManager.service file related to it in /usr/share/dbus-1) is installed, just not set up properly.