Ever since I upgraded to my desktop to Debian Linux I have not been able to run Google Earth. It would freeze on the splash screen and never open the main interface. I used Google Earth on Debian before, so I knew it was just a problem with my machine. As it turns out, it was the new ATI fglrx drivers that were preventing it from running properly.
Apparently, all versions of ATI’s proprietary Linux (fglrx) drivers version 2.28 and newer will not work for Google Earth (at least on some systems). So here is how to get Google Earth working again:
- Get a copy of libGL.so.1.2
- Put the file in the Google Earth directory (usually /usr/local/google-earth)
- Rename the file to libGL.so.1
- Start Google Earth and enjoy!
Thanks to Wilniuk from the Google Earth forums for solving this problem.
If for some reason this doesn’t work, I have a file on my system in the /usr/lib/ directory called FGL.renamed.libGL.so.1.2. When I copied that file to the Google Earth directory and renamed it to libGL.so.1, Google Earth ran in OpenGL software mode (which was slow but usable).
Hope this helps. Special thanks to Josh from www.ground-impact.com for hosting the file.
Thanks for the hint. Finally googleearth works now
i guess me hosting that file has beome very popular, it gets so many hits, and i follow where they came from, its amazing how much traffic my website has gotten with that file, it will stay there forever if anyone cares to know
Great FAQ, tried one or two other suggestions with no success, this worked like a treat. Cheers
wow, thanks for this! googleearth works nicely now
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
great it work!
thank you
Great, works, thanks!
Ok, so GE finally gets past the splash screen and looks like it’s going to work. Only problem is as soon as I try to resize the window X crashes! Oh well, a step in the right direction. Now off to find a different version of that file.
Does not work for me, whatever I try
opensuse 10.2, inter x86-64, ATI Radeon X300
arkascha,
Is your system a 64-bit system and if so, are you able to run other 32-bit applications? From what I have read, this solution should still work on a 64-bit system if you follow these procedures. Feel free to contact me if you want me to try to help you.
Sweeet. Nice work.
Great !
I found a file named ‘/usr/lib/FGL.renamed.libGL.so.1.2′ in may system and just symlinked it to the googleearth directory with the suggested name :
$ cd ~/googleearth
$ ln -s /usr/lib/FGL.renamed.libGL.so.1.2 libGL.so.1
And that is it !
Thank you for your tip.
BTW, it is a FC6 x86_64, so the needed library must be a 32 bits one, as GoogleEarth seems to be a 32 bits application. There is a 64 bits library in my system that is ‘/usr/lib64/libGL.so.1.2′, this one will not work with GoggleEarth.
Thanks for that !
I tried the file that the readme.debian file recommended, but it didn’t work.
Yours did.
I’m running Kubuntu Feisty 7.01 w/ Google Earth from the medibuntu repository, along with ATI proprietary drivers 8.40.4, if that helps anyone else.
Oh, thank you very much for that neat little trick. And I always thought it was the compositing that made it freeze!
It just works!
Thank you!
PS. for Google Earth installation from Medibuntu, the directory will be /usr/lib/googleearth
Perfect!
Thanks You!!!!!!!!!!
Worked for me as well! Great work! However, ran into the same problem with the resizing (X crashes). My work-around: immediately at startup, quickly maximize it and never touch it again! One thing though… it is sooo much slower than it was under Windoze…
Running AMD64, Suse 10.2, Radeon X700.
Ok, works on my 64-bit Ubuntu 7.04. However only software rendering. It ’s not clear from the above description that this is the only way ?
Is it possible to use some 32-bit ATI driver so you will 3D speed again?
This worked for me too, but there is a new version of googleearth out, 4.2.0198.2451 (beta), this version works for me fine, no need to copy this lib as googleearth starts then in softwareemulation-mode
Finaly to get GoogleEarth working! Thank you for the tip. SuSE 10; ATI X1300
At last - Thanks for this….genius…WOrked for me with ATI Radeon 9700 running Gibbon and Compiz….. thanks again .. Mike
64-bit Kubuntu 7.04. (Jerry: …the directory will be /usr/lib/googleearth)
fglrxinfo “RADEON 9550/X1050 Series”
no but(s) and if(s) It just works!
Thank you!
Good to be google earthing again!!
Ubuntu Gusty on a Thinkpad T60p - ATI MOBILITY FireGL V5200
worked great thanks.
Big thank you. A simple explanation and perfect solution.
Been wanting to get this working for ages. Now works with Compiz Fusion, so i’m very happy and gratefull.
Cheers,
d;)-’
Great tip. Thanks
Now Google earth works great again, thank you!
I’ve upgraded to fglrx driver version 8.43.2 on an X1200 series integrated graphics mainboard.
google earth now more or less works without the libGL.so.1 library, however shows irritating white defects on the globe. That goes away using the library.
thanks a lot, saved me a lot of nerves
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU SHOULD PUT THIS ON OPENSUSE/COMPIZ PAGE!
It works with ATI FireGL 5200, dual-head, dual monitor, Big Desktop and Compiz. Thank you!
GoogleEarth was hanging at the splash screen. I was able to get it to run by increasing the AGP aperture setting in my motherboard’s bios.
great!!
good job!!
thank u
Thanks mate !!!
Very good
Fantastic, you made my day. Now I can see how fast my PC is with AMD 64 athlon 3000+ and 4G RAM. I have the ATI Xpress 200 card and had problems since installing google earth. Thanks again.
great!!
Now Google earth works!!!
THANK YOU!!!