How to View EXIF Data on Linux — Two Methods That Actually Work

Viewing EXIF data on Linux is straightforward once you know which tool to reach for. If you want zero setup, the browser-based EXIF Viewer works in Chrome, Chromium, or Firefox on any Linux distribution — Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Kali, Arch, and others. If you prefer the terminal, ExifTool is the command-line standard: one apt or dnf install and you can read every field in a photo file with a single command. Here is how both methods work.

Method 1 — Browser EXIF Viewer (Works on Any Linux Distro)

Open the EXIF Viewer in Chrome, Chromium, or Firefox. Drag your JPEG, PNG, or HEIC photo file onto the tool. The full EXIF output appears immediately: GPS coordinates with a map link, camera make and model, capture timestamp, lens data, exposure settings, glyph count, color profile, and any other fields embedded in the file.

All processing happens locally in the browser. The file is read into browser memory using the File API — no network request is made, no file is transmitted anywhere. You can verify this by watching the Network tab in browser developer tools while the tool runs: there is no upload.

This method works identically on Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali Linux, Debian, Arch, and any other distribution that has a modern browser installed. No additional packages or drivers are needed.

Method 2 — ExifTool (Full Terminal Control)

ExifTool is the de facto standard for EXIF reading on Linux. Install it from your package manager:

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl

# Fedora
sudo dnf install perl-Image-ExifTool

# Arch
sudo pacman -S perl-image-exiftool

To read all EXIF from a file:

exiftool photo.jpg

To read only the GPS coordinates:

exiftool -GPS:all photo.jpg

To read specific fields (date, camera, GPS):

exiftool -DateTimeOriginal -Make -Model -GPSLatitude -GPSLongitude photo.jpg

ExifTool supports all common image formats: JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, RAW formats (CR2, NEF, ARW), and more. It can also process entire directories: exiftool /path/to/photos/ reads every image file in the folder.

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How to Read GPS Coordinates from a Photo on Linux

Both methods display GPS data. In the browser tool, coordinates appear under the GPS section and link to an OpenStreetMap location pin — click it to see the location on a map without leaving the browser.

In ExifTool, the GPS output looks like:

GPS Latitude                    : 40 deg 42' 46.20" N
GPS Longitude                   : 74 deg 0' 21.60" W
GPS Position                    : 40 deg 42' 46.20" N, 74 deg 0' 21.60" W

To get decimal degrees (easier to paste into mapping tools), use the -c flag:

exiftool -c "%.6f" -GPSLatitude -GPSLongitude photo.jpg

If no GPS fields appear, the photo either has no embedded coordinates (common for photos taken indoors or with location services disabled) or the GPS data was stripped by a social media platform before the file reached you.

Reading EXIF from Multiple Photos on Linux

ExifTool handles batch processing natively. To export EXIF data from every JPEG in a directory to a CSV:

exiftool -csv /path/to/photos/*.jpg > exif-data.csv

To recursively process all images in a directory tree:

exiftool -r /path/to/photos/

The browser EXIF Viewer is designed for individual files. For batch processing of many images, ExifTool is the right tool — it processes hundreds of files in seconds from a single command.

EXIF Viewing on Kali Linux — OSINT and Forensic Use Cases

Kali Linux ships with ExifTool pre-installed as part of its digital forensics toolkit. For OSINT work — investigating where a photo was taken, verifying timestamps, or identifying the camera used — ExifTool's command-line output is preferable because it can be piped into other tools and scripts.

The browser tool is useful in Kali when you want a visual output: GPS on a map, organized fields, and a clean display without parsing raw terminal output. Both tools read the same underlying EXIF data — the difference is interface and automation capability.

For investigators working with downloaded images from social media, note that most platforms strip GPS and camera EXIF before serving the image. If you are analyzing a downloaded Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp photo, expect minimal metadata — the original EXIF was removed at upload.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the browser EXIF viewer work on Linux?

Yes. It works in Chrome, Chromium, and Firefox on any Linux desktop environment. No additional packages or drivers are required beyond a modern browser.

Is ExifTool pre-installed on Ubuntu?

Not by default on Ubuntu desktop. Install it with: sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl. On Kali Linux, it is typically pre-installed.

Can I read EXIF from RAW camera files on Linux?

ExifTool supports RAW formats including CR2 (Canon), NEF (Nikon), ARW (Sony), and many others. The browser EXIF viewer works with JPEG, PNG, and HEIC files.