A long overdue update to Google Earth for Linux
October 2, 2016 5 Comments
Google has finally released Version 7.1.7.2600 of Google Earth for Linux, fixing various crashes and the infamous empty Panoramio window. The last version of Google Earth for Linux that worked properly ‘out of the box’ in Gentoo Linux for me was 5.2.1.1588, and that was several years ago.
The current version of Google Earth in the Portage main tree is 7.1.4.1529. That version does not display Panoramio photos in Gentoo Linux (Stable Branch) on my Clevo W230SS laptop (NVIDIA Optimus), and Version 7.1.4.1529 crashes at launch more often than not. So I was keen to try the new version. Below are the steps I followed to install Version 7.1.7.2600 in the Portage local overlay on the laptop. If you don’t already have a local overlay, see the Gentoo Wiki article Overlay/Local overlay. Don’t forget to copy the files
directory and its contents from /usr/portage/sci-geosciences/googleearth/
to /usr/local/portage/sci-geosciences/googleearth/
as well.
1. Download the file google-earth-stable_current_amd64.deb
from the Google Earth Web site (Download the latest version of Google Earth for PC, Mac or Linux).
2. Edit the file /etc/portage/package.use/googleearth
and add the line:
=sci-geosciences/googleearth-7.1.7.2600 -bundled-libs
3. Edit the file /etc/portage/package.unmask/googleearth
and add the line:
=sci-geosciences/googleearth-7.1.7.2600
4. Edit the file /etc/portage/package.accept_keywords/googleearth
and add the line:
=sci-geosciences/googleearth-7.1.7.2600 ~amd64
5. Copy the downloaded binary package to the distfiles
directory and rename the package:
root # cp /home/fitzcarraldo/Downloads/google-earth-stable_current_amd64.deb /usr/portage/distfiles/GoogleEarthLinux-7.1.7.2600_amd64.deb
6. Create an ebuild for the new version and generate a manifest:
root # cd /usr/local/portage/sci-geosciences/googleearth/
root # cp /usr/portage/sci-geosciences/googleearth/googleearth-7.1.4.1529.ebuild googleearth-7.1.7.2600.ebuild
root # ebuild googleearth-7.1.7.2600.ebuild manifest
7. Install Google Earth 7.1.7.2600:
root # emerge =googleearth-7.1.7.2600
The package was installed without any trouble:
root # eix -I googleearth
[I] sci-geosciences/googleearth
Available versions: {M}(~)7.1.4.1529^m {M}(~)7.1.7.2600^m[1] {+bundled-libs}
Installed versions: 7.1.7.2600^m[1](00:02:27 02/10/16)(-bundled-libs)
Homepage: https://earth.google.com/
Description: A 3D interface to the planet
[1] "local_overlay" /usr/local/portage
Google Earth for Linux 7.1.7.2600 launches quickly and without trouble on this laptop, and Panoramio photos are indeed now visible again (finally!). The only issue is one I also came across over a year ago after hacking an earlier version of Google Earth for Linux: If you click on a photo icon and the Panoramio window that opens displays several thumbnails, clicking on a thumbnail results in a white Panoramio window without any photo and thumbnails. Apparently this only happens in KDE. Anyway, the work-around is to right-click on the desired thumbnail and select ‘Open in New Window’.
Followed the steps and it seems to work. Linux hostname=HPQuad 4.5.2-gentoo #6 SMP Sun May 22 18:32:29 2016 x86_64 AMD A6-3400M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux.
Thank you
You’re welcome. Out of interest, which video driver are you using for your AMD GPU? ati-drivers, xf86-video-amdgpu or xf86-video-ati?
It’s a shame, no longer more googleearth in portage.
Yes. Unfortunately it looks like Google is not really interested in Desktop applications any more, wanting people to use the so-called ‘new’ Google Earth via a Web browser:
https://www.google.com/earth/
Google still provides Google Earth Pro for the Desktop, but I don’t know for how long:
https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/earth/desktop/
I’ve just found an ebuild for Google Earth Pro in a third-party overlay that you might like to try:
https://github.com/orsonteodoro/oiledmachine-overlay/tree/master/sci-geosciences/googleearthpro