Google Earth SFS for Xenialpup/Slacko 560/570/Racy 55

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Devonian.

Mm. O-kay. Well, I can describe the steps required to do this, but it won't work for you if you're not running ATI/AMD Radeon graphics. Which I am, y'see.

First step would be helpful to know what Puppy you're running; this will only work in a 64-bit Pup, like Tahr64 or Slacko64.....or Xenialpup64, etc.

Secondly, I would need to know the make & model of your graphics card. Do this for me, would you? Open a terminal (Menu->Utility->Urxvt terminal emulator), and enter the following:-

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lspci -vnn | grep VGA -A 12

The symbol in the middle is the 'pipe' symbol (found immediately to the left of the 'z' on UK keyboards).....or, you can copy'n'paste this, if you want to. To copy'n'paste in Puppy, left-clk & drag to highlight ('copy'), followed by middle-click (click the scroll wheel) to 'paste'. One of Pup's little peculiarities, this; you'll soon get the hang of it. Once you've pasted it, press 'Enter', then please repeat the process to paste the output into your reply.

You should get something similar to this:-

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# lspci -vnn | grep VGA -A 12
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 [Radeon Xpress 200G Series] [1002:5954] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Device [1462:7141]
	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 17
	Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
	I/O ports at ef00 [size=256]
	Memory at fdbf0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	[virtual] Expansion ROM at fdb00000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
	Kernel driver in use: radeon

It will also tell me what kernel driver is in use; in Linux, all your drivers are contained in the kernel. There is rarely, if ever, any need to 'install' drivers in Linux.....although there's always exceptions to the rule. By and large, the open-source graphics drivers are perfectly adequate for most things.

When we've determined what your card is, we can add the appropriate 'mode-setting' entry to the kernel line.....


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

For anyone running the 6-series Google Earth who (like me) has found in recent days that it no longer works, the reason is quite simple; Google have finally switched off the servers for this particular version.

Because Google Earth uses both client-side code (the stuff running on your box) and server-side code (the stuff running on Google's servers 'in the cloud'), if one or the other no longer functions, that's it. No cigar.

The only recourse is to switch to one of the available 7-series packages, I'm afraid. And even those probably won't last that much longer, due to the fact that Google have made current versions of Earth 'web-based' only.....for which you need WebGL-capable hardware. And for this, you need to enable hardware acceleration. And guess what?

Google don't support hardware acceleration under Linux. The 'flag' for this doesn't actually do anything. Grrr..!!

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/10/har ... rome-linux


Mike.

[sszindian]

Really a shame Google decided to turn off their servers for Google Earth '6'. That's what happens when big companies hire 'those' that think they know what everybody should/should-not have for the latest equipment available... maybe if they didn't make so much money to keep updating their own equipment they would find out how many have to make do with older equipment, good old solid programs!

Anyway for those in need of a pretty good Google Earth (not all the frills) for your needs go to-

https://mapper.acme.com/

This actually has a few things that out-shine the Original Google Earth-6... 'flicker' that displays more pictures than Google Earth did, Terrain-view, USA Topo, Hike-Bike Trails, and more, plus... nothing needs to be installed on your computer!!!

If you need a satellite display you just might find this will fill your needs?

'Enjoy'

>>>---Indian------>

[Mike Walsh]

@ sszindian:-

Thanks for that, mate. Looks like (as you say) a fairly good G.Earth replacement!

I thought I'd found most of 'em, but this one had escaped me.... I've been half-heartedly tinkering with the KDE-supported NASA 'Marble' app, but Christ, it wants some dependencies. Being KDE-sponsored, I can't say I'm surprised..!

Yes, I have to agree; if Google didn't have more money (and 'clout') than God (and thus access to as much top-end hardware as they could possibly want), they might indeed be in less of a hurry to cut access to older, reliable software.

But that's 'big business' for ya. Especially when said 'big business' feels it has the God-given right to dictate to everybody else what they can and can't do with their own equipment. Unfortunately, that's summat I can't ever see changing anytime soon.....

Cheers.


Mike.

[Billtoo]

Hi Mike,

Google-Earth Pro is working well in Phil's bionicpup64 -beta 7.9.7

I've run it with nvidia,radeon, and intel graphics, works well in all,

[Mike Walsh]

@ billtoo:-

O-kay. Um; where did you get your version of G.Earth Pro? Off the 'official' download page?

I'm running the older 7.9.3, y'see. I attempted running my save-file with 7.9.7, but the desktop and most of everything else ended up an unholy mess.....and I just don't have the time to painstakingly set it all up again. 'Life' keeps getting in the way!

The problem with G.Earth here is that darned 'Google Earth has caught signal 11' thing.....


Mike.

[Billtoo]

@ billtoo:-

O-kay. Um; where did you get your version of G.Earth Pro? Off the 'official' download page?

I'm running the older 7.9.3, y'see. I attempted running my save-file with 7.9.7, but the desktop and most of everything else ended up an unholy mess.....and I just don't have the time to painstakingly set it all up again. 'Life' keeps getting in the way!

The problem with G.Earth here is that darned 'Google Earth has caught signal 11' thing.....


Mike.

Hi Mike,

I got it in Quickpet of bionicpup64-7.9.7 beta.
Also installed flash from Quickpet which made a few more items in the submenus work.

So there is still a pup that supports Google-Earth (Pro only I guess)

Bill

[Sky Aisling]

Hello
Google Earth is running in BionicBeaver-64 on a Dell Inspiron N7010 with 8GB of RAM.
I loaded it this morning from Quickpet.
Google Earth home page is saying there is an update available, with a download link.

Do I take the download from the app link directly?
or
Do I need to have the download in .pet form?

If so, where do I find the latest .pet Google Earth for BionicBeaver-64?
Is there another thread that is a more appropriate place to post this question?

I am looking for the simplest solution.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Sky

[Mike Walsh]

@ Sky:-

In all honesty, I wouldn't bother. Google aren't putting very much effort into the Linux desktop app any more, since all their globe-trotting efforts are now going into the web-based version.....and that pre-supposes that you're running a separate, "discrete" GPU/graphics card, along with correctly-installed and set-up proprietary drivers on a powerful, up-to-date modern machine. And even then, you're wasting your time, since the only browser in which this will work under Linux is Chrome itself.....and Google candidly stated a couple of years ago that they will NOT enable hardware acceleration in Linux Chrome.

Without hardware acceleration, even on a powerful modern machine, the web version of Google Earth is so sluggish as to be virtually unusable.....the desktop app works miles better, but I would strongly advise sticking with the existing/supplied version; this has been tested to work with Puppy.

You try updating that sucker, you'll not only permanently total Google Earth, you also run the risk of bricking Puppy, too..... All development work for the desktop app, such as it is, is going into the Windows version only.

It's not worth it. And in a couple of years time, Google will "sunset" & switch off the servers for the current 7-series 'Pro' version anyway, which is all that's available for download now.....and when that happens, it'll be the end of the road for Google Earth in Linux. Or at least for Puppy.....

(*shrug*)

The only officially-sanctioned and "approved" method for getting hardware acceleration running in Linux Chrome or Chromium is to gather all the available VAAPI-relevant patches'n'stuff together and compile the browser yourself, from scratch. 'Cos Big Brother has no intentions of helping..!

Sorry it's not better news, but that's the current 'state of play' vis-a-vis G.Earth for us here in Puppy-land .


Mike.

[Sky Aisling]

Thanks, Mike,

Sigh, I have to constantly remind myself, that someone once said, 'nothing is ultimate'.

Sky

[OscarTalks]

Google-earth-pro stable current 64bit desktop version reports itself as 7.3.3.7721
Works in Bionic64
In my nouveau test machine I have to use boot parameter nouveau.noaccel=1 otherwise it does not display properly (top left postage stamp effect).
I did a slight repack as .pet and .sfs including getting jwm window icon to show.
Uploaded here in case any use.
https://yadi.sk/d/a_pz785f3Lbcuz?force_show=1

[Sky Aisling]

EDIT: Disregard this post. The Google Earth left-overs were in root. I just missed seeing them.

Thanks Mike Walsh and OscarTalks.
I un-installed Google Earth using Puppy Package Manager.
Now, when I check Graphical Disk Map 0.8.1 there is still debris left over from the original install.
The leftovers are bumping up my root size.
Where in the system is this left-over material?
Pfind says it's root, but, it's not showing in root?
I want to clean Google Earth completely off the OS.

Thank you in advance,

Sky

[Mike Walsh]

@ Sky:-

It's a "hidden" directory in /root. Click on ROX's "eye" icon, and you'll see /root/.googleearth. This is where G.Earth stores its cache.....in the user's home directory. Which for us in Puppyland, is /root.....

pFind doesn't normally display hidden directories.

--------------------------------------------

I must confess, current G.Earth 'Pro' 7.3.3.7721 works absolutely fine for me. This is in Xenialpup64 tonight.....by the simple expedient of downloading the current .deb file, running it through Jake's UExtract, and swapping the /opt/google/earth/pro directory over. Sweet as a nut.

I too, used to get the 'postage-stamp' effect described by Oscar on the old Compaq.

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nouveau.noaccel=1

....used to 'fix' it for me too, but Christ was it slo-o-o-ow. My GeForce GT710 is running the Nvidia driver on this new machine in most of my Puppies, which is probably why I'm not having any issues with it.....and no need of a kernel-line 'fix'.


Mike.