Map the ecosystem
Separate libvips, the vips CLI, govips, sharp, and pyvips by responsibility. Understand the ecosystem
Start here
This is the shortest route into the VIPS ecosystem. Learn how the core library relates to its language bindings, select the interface that fits your stack, then run a complete pipeline with an observable result.
Begin here
Section titled “Begin here”Choose an interface
Route a Go, Node.js, Python, or shell workflow while accounting for default differences. Choose a binding
Install and verify
Install libvips or a binding and confirm the runtime version that actually loads. Installation checks
Run it once
Generate a WebP thumbnail through all four interfaces and inspect dimensions and versions. 15-minute quickstart
Build a complete workflow
Section titled “Build a complete workflow”The quickstart proves that the toolchain works, but production work also needs input validation, orientation, colour decisions, encoding, and output checks. Continue with your first complete image pipeline to turn one operation into an observable workflow.
Where to go next
Section titled “Where to go next”- To understand why libvips uses less memory, open Foundations.
- If you already have an image task, browse Recipes.
- If you are diagnosing a live problem, go straight to Troubleshooting.