Google Earth is a 3D globe that lets you explore imagery of Earth, Mars, the moon, and the sky. Google offers a Linux native client, but not an Ubuntu package. Wondering how to install Google Earth on Ubuntu 10.04? Here’s my recommended method.
Note that 3D acceleration is required to run Google Earth.
Method 1: Medibuntu
Medibuntu offers a Google Earth package for Ubuntu 10.04. You can download and install it here. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select your system type (i386/32 bit, amd64/64 bit) to start the download. Double-click on the downloaded package to open the Package Installer, and click Install Package.
Start Google Earth from Applications->Internet->Google Earth.
Method 2: googleearth-package
If the Medibuntu package is out of date or unavailable, you can create your own package with an easy script. The Ubuntu repositories offer a script which can create an easy to install Google Earth package for you.
- Open Ubuntu Software Center and install googleearth-package.
- Open Applications->Accessories->Terminal
- Type the command:
make-googleearth-package --force - Wait for the script to build your package. This could take a minute or two depending on the speed of your computer and your Internet connection. At the end you should see:
Success!
You can now install the package with e.g. sudo dpkg -i
.deb - You should now have a Google Earth package waiting in your home folder. Open Places->Home Folder, find the package named googleearth_VERSION_ARCH.deb, double-click to open the Package Installer, and click Install Package.
- Start Google Earth from Applications->Internet->Google Earth.
If you’re having trouble, check out the Ubuntu Community Documentation on Google Earth. I’ve also written previously about installing Google Earth using the installer from Google.
"