Install Google Earth on Ubuntu 8.04

By | 2008/06/24
33 Comments

Recently I blogged about installing Adobe Acrobat reader by way of the Medibuntu repository.  This got me thinking about some of the other great (albeit non-free) software that is available there.  Here I’ll review how to add the Medibuntu repository and then how to install Google Earth!

Configure the Medibuntu Repository

Setting up this third-party repository can be done by way of a few quick commands:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/hardy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get update

This will add the Medibuntu repository, import the Medibuntu GPG key and make the new packages available.

Install Google Earth

To then install Google Earth simply use:

sudo apt-get install googleearth-4.3

You should now have Google Earth added to your “Applications” menu and, assuming your video card supports the requirements, you’re ready to virtually travel the planet!

One thing that I did find which helped greatly regarding performance was disabling the atmosphere rendering.  This can be done via:

View > Atmosphere : uncheck

If, for some reason, Google Earth doesn’t load properly or crashes on your machine you could try to revert to an older package version which seems to have less issues.  To do that use:

sudo apt-get install googleearth-4.2

33 thoughts on “Install Google Earth on Ubuntu 8.04”

  1. abi surd

    I installed Adobe Reader as explained in the previous blog. It worked fine. Thanks
    So I tried Google Earth also. It installed all fine. But whenever I try to launch it, it shows its splash screen and then logs me out and throws the login screen. It kills all my present tasks, like Firefox and telnet sessions.

  2. Tom

    Thanks for the tutorial.

    Is there a reason, why the package “googleearth” still contains version 4.2? why not the most recent one?

  3. kopolee11

    abisurd:

    I had the same problems. However, luckily for me all I had to do was update my NVIDA graphic drivers, and then the problem was fixed. Maybe this will help you.

  4. Bob

    Hi:
    When I enter “sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get update” I get the following, ”
    E: Type ‘ — 11:oo:51–‘ is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/source.list.medibuntu.list.
    What happened?

  6. Indra

    I Failed install google earth, help pls…
    ————————–

    –15:57:06– http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/hardy.list
    => `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list’
    Resolving http://www.medibuntu.org... 87.98.242.110
    Connecting to http://www.medibuntu.org|87.98.242.110|:80… failed: Connection timed out.
    Retrying.

    –16:00:16– http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/hardy.list
    (try: 2) => `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list’
    Connecting to http://www.medibuntu.org|87.98.242.110|:80… connected.
    HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 510 Not Extended
    16:00:34 ERROR 510: Not Extended.

  7. Ian

    I managed to get rid of version 4.3 which wouldn’t run and re-install 4.2 which is fine but I can only run it by typing “googleearth” in a terminal. How can I put it in the applications list and/or create a desktop shortcut?

  8. Malaz

    Probably too late, but it’s pretty simple.

    To put it into your applications list, right click on your main menu and select ‘Edit Menus’. Go to one of the sub-menus, like Education. Select ‘New Item’ and fill in the following:

    Name: Google Earth
    Command: googleearth

    Click on the launcher icon to select an icon for google earth. There are a number of globe-like icons already on your system, so just use one of those.

    Google Earth is now in your main menu. You can copy the launcher to your desktop or panel by dragging it from your main menu to the desired location.

  9. Malaz

    To the author:

    Your apturl link is for the googleearth package, but the install instructions say to install googleearth-4.3.

  11. neba

    everything installs just fine until it comes to the end user agreement. It shows up on the terminal and I don’t know how to get passed that. There is a ‘ok’ button. I try clicking on it, and nothing. Pls help.

  12. lemaitpa

    Use down arrow key to read licence.
    Use tab key to select ok button then press enter key.

  13. fragray

    RE : everything installs just fine until it comes to the end user agreement. It shows up on the terminal and I don’t know how to get passed that. There is a ‘ok’ button. I try clicking on it, and nothing. Pls help.
    Got the same problem!!!

  15. bj

    please let me instaled this without no problems

  16. Viduthalai

    Hi,
    i installed google earth following ur protocol. the 4.3 version didn work again i tried the 4.2 as u said. unfortunately, this is alos not working. when i open google earth, the window opens with a white dots on a black back ground and nothing else comes. i tried typing some place name n didn work.
    i use ubuntu 8.04 (64 bit). mine s a core 2 duo processor with 2gb ram. plz advise me

  17. Phillip

    I ran the install as per instructions above. In my terminal window is the EULA, at the end of this is I cannot close this window and I do not know how to accept the EULA. Pretty much stuck at this point – what do I do next to finish the Google Earth install?

    Thanks.

  19. Sam

    Neither 4.3 or 4.2 work on my computer, both just crash and put me at the log-in page

  21. Richard Whitley

    Awesome, that dang eula was killing me, i couldnt get around it, and i closed the window, luckily when i tried to run another command it said something was locked was another program using it, then it told me to run the config a thing, and went right back into the agreement, thanks to your help, its installed and running 🙂

  22. Eugene van der Merwe

    Same problem as Viduthalai, when I open Google Earth 4.3 I get a black screen with white dots. Typing anything in the Fly To box does nothing. No errors, nothing. I use Ubuntu 8.10 64-bit.

    I tried downgrading to version 4.2 and this does work. It runs, but frequently crashes (just closes). Please assist!

  23. johnnym

    Excellent, all went smooth!!!!! thanks!

  24. Kool Kool

    Plz help download it and i didnt find it in applications wha should i do

  25. khan

    Thanks very much GOOD and EXCELLENT WORK.

  26. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  27. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  28. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  29. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  30. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  31. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  32. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

  33. Henry

    Wonderfully helpful, thanks for taking the time to help those of us who need it. Google Earth on my old laptop. I'm in heaven.

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