Google Earth Under Linux

Google Earth is now available for
gnu/Linux, grab it here

Installation

Download the GoogleEarthLinux.bin which is about 17MB. The download bin file is the compressed application which will start the installation on gnu/Linux OS.

$ sh GoogleEarthLinux.bin

Verifying archive integrity… All good.

Uncompressing Google Earth for GNU/Linux 4.0.1563…………………………………………………………

(Follow the instructions to complete the installation)

Starting up

You can launch the application by typing ‘googleearth’ on your xterm or in run dialog box in your windowmanager. After a few warnings the Google Earth application started without fuss.

Warnings

It needs at least 1024×768 screen resolution, you can also ignore and run on lower resolution also but you lose the fun. Then it warns about using the ‘OpenGL’ emulation being slower (and all that). Well, if someone donates some money I will buy a good graphic card until then its software graphic acceleration for me.

Only problem I had was it didn’t find Bitstream Vera fonts on my computer but that isn’t a big problem at all. Perhaps the
ttf-bitstream-vera (The Bitstream Vera family of free TrueType fonts) package might have solved the problem, but I gave it a skip.

Relatively it was problem free installation on my Debian/Sid machine. Now, let me see if I find the lethal WMD weapons of saddam Hussain with Google Earth. ;o)