Google Earth won't install properly [Solved]

[hippyredneck]

 

I tried to install Google Earth. I used the video tutorial I found here http://www.opensourcebistro.com/

It installed, but every time I double left click on the desktop icon, the splash thing comes up and then the computer shuts off and goes back to the login.

Google Earth won't run.

 

[stretchedthin]

What video card are you using?

[hippyredneck]

Thank you Ken for the very helpful tutorials. I likely would not have been able to install it at all without the video. The one to put up the desktop icon was great too.

I actually couldn't find the video on http://www.opensourcebistro.com/ again for some reason.

I found it here, though...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sUOPshobDQ

I imagine there is some simple reason why it won't run for me.

[hippyredneck]

How do I find the video card again please?

[Daniel]

I installed Google Earth and had the same problem you did. I tried running Google Earth from a terminal to figure out what was happening and it turned out that my video card wasn't good enough. If you run "googleearth" in a terminal (w/o the quotes) I think it will tell you what it needs. (pixel shader support, 3D capability... something like that)

[newt]

As a possible alternative, you could try Flash Earth: http://www.flashearth.com/

[hippyredneck]

Thank you, but I put googleearth in the terminal and it says: command not found

?

[hippyredneck]

http://www.flashearth.com/

Beautiful, thank you.

[stretchedthin]

How do I find the video card again please?

I'd still like to see why Google earth is not working.
If you want to see the video card you are using there are a couple ways...
1) in a terminal as root...
'lspci | grep VGA

This will give you an output something like this...
root:# lspci | grep VGA
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G72M [Quadro NVS 110M/GeForce Go 7300] (rev a1)

2) Alternativly and easier to remember you can use hardinfo (also called System profiler and benchmark under system in the menu)
In the resulting window...Click on PCI Devices

Look for the line that begins VGA compatible controller ....
and post that.
Just post the out put here on this thread.

[hippyredneck]

Okay, thank you. 

I used the System Profiler and Benchmark and this is what I got on PCI devices:

Host bridge   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 661FX/M661FX/M661MX Host
PCI bridge   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS AGP Port
ISA bridge   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS963 [MuTIOL Media IO]
SMBus   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS961/2 SMBus Controller
IDE interface   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE]
Multimedia audio controller   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] AC'97 Sound Controller
USB Controller   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.1 Controller
USB Controller   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.1 Controller
USB Controller   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 2.0 Controller
Ethernet controller   Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
VGA compatible controller   Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 661/741/760 PCI/AGP or 662/761Gx PCIE VGA Display Adapter

[stretchedthin]

I googled your card and it seems like a number of Linux users are struggling with any kind of direct rendering.
See this link.
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-488185.html

You may have to look for a new video card from a company more inclined to support drivers for Linux.

[hippyredneck]

Okay, thank you.

I recall when I had windows xp, I had to download and install (if that's what I had to do) a realtek AC 97 VGA controller or driver or something like that. It was a bit of a process for me.

Do you know if I could do the same with Linux?

Or do I have to go buy an actual card from a store?

Any suggestions where I could buy one if that's the case?

[hippyredneck]

stretchedthin,
  Thank you for the link. Honestly, much of the terminology is foreign to me, but I guess I have to buy a video card that works for Linux. I suppose I can buy one from a computer store? Please forgive my ignorance and thank you for your time again.

[stretchedthin]

I'm by no means an expert on that card but I read a bit of that thread I attached above and it does not sound positive.  I have used both ati cards and nvidia cards in the past. Nvidia is commonly considered a safer bet, but I am getting outstanding performance out of my ati machine. 

Vector is very good at setting up drivers for ati or nvidia as well.  It is also quite easy to upgrade or install a driver yourself. I have a tut for that kind of thing on the OSB site.
You can get cards for pretty cheap now a days if you shop around some.  Tigerdirect and ebay can offer real bargains.
You are going to need to know if your machine is setup for a pci, agp, or pci-express type card. (Knowing that will ensure the card you buy will be the right fit for the slots in your machine.)
Before you buy a card you find and like, just check the card model number against the available linux drivers on whichever site is appropriate Nvidia's or ati's
Nvidia driver search tool
ati driver search tool

Late here, hope I made sense. 

[stretchedthin]

stretchedthin,
  Thank you for the link. Honestly, much of the terminology is foreign to me, but I guess I have to buy a video card that works for Linux. I suppose I can buy one from a computer store? Please forgive my ignorance and thank you for your time again.

Hey, no worries.  Those were good questions.  Also Google's just the tip of the iceburg.  After you get a good Video card you can play with Compiz-fusion, maybe twin view some monitors, or xinerama.