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Cheese
What it is
Cheese is a free GNOME Desktop webcam program for taking photos and videos on Linux. It applies multiple effects to photos, and those effects and sharing options are also available for videos. A three-second visual countdown helps users prepare before a photo, while burst mode captures a configured number of images with a configured delay. Users can choose an installed webcam, set resolution and adjust brightness or contrast. Fullscreen mode supports kiosk-style use such as an office lobby or party. Photos can be saved to disk, emailed, uploaded to Flickr, exported to F-Spot or used as a GNOME account photo. Installing nautilus-sendto adds sharing choices for photos and videos. Packages are listed for Arch Linux, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE and Ubuntu. Documentation, chat, a mailing list and issue tracker are available, along with source repositories and release tarballs.
For and against
For
- Free plan priced as free
- Photo and video effects included
- Three-second countdown and burst mode
- Adjustable webcam resolution, brightness and contrast
- Packages available for major Linux distributions
Against
- Linux is the only listed platform
- No virtual camera support
- Background tools are not included
- Some sharing options require nautilus-sendto
The verdict
Cheese provides webcam capture, effects, controls and sharing without a listed cost. Its Linux-only support and lack of virtual-camera tools define its limits.
Who it suits
Cheese suits Linux users who want a straightforward GNOME webcam tool for photos and videos. It also fits kiosk-style setups and users who need several sharing options.
Plans and prices
Cheese
Webcam app for taking photos and videos
Read 5 Oct 2026 · wiki.gnome.org
On the record
- Additional sharing
- With nautilus-sendto installed, the page says users have further options to share photos and videos.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Burst mode
- Burst mode takes a configured number of photos with a configured time delay.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Camera controls
- Users can choose among installed webcams, set webcam resolution, and configure settings such as brightness and contrast.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Countdown
- A three-second visual countdown gives users time to get ready before taking a photo.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Fullscreen
- Cheese has a fullscreen mode described for kiosk use, such as an office lobby or party.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Help and support
- The project lists in-app and online user documentation, a community chat, a mailing list, and an issue tracker.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Linux distribution packages
- The project resources page lists packages for Arch Linux, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Origins
- The page says Cheese was written as part of Google's 2007 Summer of Code, led by Daniel G. Siegel and mentored by Raphaël Slinckx.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Photo effects
- It can apply multiple effects to photos.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Cheese is a GNOME Desktop program for taking photos and videos with a webcam.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Sharing
- The page lists exporting to F-Spot, uploading to Flickr, emailing, using a photo as a GNOME account photo, and saving files to disk.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Source availability
- The resources page links to stable release tarballs and gives the GitLab repository clone URL for development code.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Video effects
- The page says effects and sharing available for photos are also available for videos.wiki.gnome.org · read 5 Oct 2026
