I'm trying to get an earlier version of GE which does not have Panaramio problems viewing others uploaded pictures. If I get the latest version from GE site Panaramio doesn't work showing others uploaded pics. Following that GE download and before installation a message says that an earlier version of GE is available in the software channels which may be installed instead. I guess my question is how do I access those software channels and what to do to get and earlier [hopefully not panaramio cripled] version? Thanx %)SW

This may not be the answer you are looking for, and if not I apologise, but the binary version from Google that is offered as a download seems to install and work fine* for me as long as I have the 32 bit libraries installed.

*Apart form not supporting a specific input device, hence my not using it.

Thanx 273, I'm a little challenged with knowing how to install the 32 bit libraries. Does this mean install the 32 bit version? I think I tried that but it must have not worked at all.

Yes, there onl;y seems to be one 64 bit version of Google Earth and it not only has the panaramio problem but, in my experience, it crashes regularly too. It also depends upon the deprecated package ia32-libs (which hasn't existed in Debian based systems in about a year at least) meaning the .deb file needs to be edited before it can be installed.
Anyhow, back to installing the older version. It has its own installer so that part is easy. To install the necessary dependencies you then need to install the required packages with :i386 after them. I tend to either run it from the terminal and make note of the libraries it reports as missing or run ldd on it and make a note of the list of libraries missing then google them to find which package I need to install. on my VirtualBox install I think the dependencies were libgli-mesa-glx:i386, libglu1-mesa:i386 and libsm6:i386 but if you're running a graphics card then you'll probably need the NVIDIA or AMD/ATI versions instead.

Thanx 273, I'm still confused but will keep working on it. Feel free to chime in and continue but I don't want to be a pest.
I'm pretty much limited to copy and paste when using command line.
I have a form of dementia which prohibits me from being able to remember, think and make decisions, among other many not understood things while trying to do something. Hence I have to have it all worked out in my one cell brain before hand or it is 99+% prone to failure. I've downloaded it from Googleearth site and just use the menus [I think gtk] to install it and only problem I have had is Panaramio with occasional freezes which are self limiting by just waiting for them to pass as if a cache is being oveloaded. Lately I've been working on installing the missing files using synaptic. Can't remember what they were but had to do with .386,lsb, Ia32 and the like. You sent me some that others don't mention. I've had six TBI's with the last requiring a Craniectomy 1981. 105mph crash with parked car and about every bone in my head broken with right side almost flattened. If it weren't for nasty poisonous fragrances people use I think I could work and fair well but am on disability and some days barely able to sleep. Also had a heart attack over a year ago and soon after a Neurologist tells me I've had at least six strokes in the last five years.
Sorry about all that but it might help you know why I'm so sloooooooooow... I'm gunna have to stick with LTS releases and avoid the bleeding edge of menu Linux. Maybe I'm just getting worse. CUL8R%)SW

In my opinion if the version you have installed works but is a bit buggy then I would leave things as they are. I've not used a version of Google Earth yet that's not crashed or seemed in some way buggy and installing anything but the 32 bit .deb file on Debian based systems seems to cause nothing but hassle -- it can be done but it's not straightforward and even the 32 bit .deb can sometimes fail to install due to dependency problems to which the answer is waiting until the Debian developers fix things again.
I currently can't see Panaramio pictures in GE at all but it's either that, not having my 6-axis controller work or having to edit a .deb file and having it crash on start-up 80% of the time so I'm living without Panaramio until the Debian developers update whichever library it is that's needed which, on past experience, may be never.

As I understand what I've read so far is Googleearth has not got a complete 64bit package yet and is using some kind of a wrapper instead, which maybe why it's buggy. Blahhh tired of it.... Mostly what I use GE for is looking at panaramio pictures and dream of moving climate and socially perfect elsewhere. Messing with Linux configuration keeps the mind somewhat active tho but could be messing my head up.... I just did a clean install about the time I started this thread to try to clear up some partitioning issues where I somehow got a 512 mb fat32 partition and assumed that it was an eUFI mistake.
Before the clean inst. I was told by system that I has sda1 512mb, sda2 923GB, and sda3 8GB swap and all through the process
I was told as I was writing zeros to a 932GB partition using shred from Knoppix on sda [just 4 kikz and more than a week later some hair left]. After shed is done and install begun the drive size is now 1TB and I'm using 978gb. Starting to think Mint is Windoze in Disguise.... But it's all I can afford to play with...
Either this version of Linux is flaky beyond belief or I have motherboard or memory or hard drive issues.

Actually, the new 64 bit .deb package is a true 64 bit version of Google Earth but Google, in their lack of wisdom, have seen fit to give it a dependency on something called ia32-libs which it does not need and which hasn't existed as a real package in Debian for about 2 years. Sadly, however, when I remove the dependency from the package and install the true 64 bit version it crashes 80% of the time on startup (I'm not exaggerating, I literally have to open it over and over until it eventually opens properly) then tends to crash at some point after anyhow. The Panaramio pictures can't be displayed either.

I'm pretty sure I got 1a32-libs from Mint repos. via synaptic or software manager. Just aint had the inclination to download GE and test yet. There were alot of other files downloaded at same time took a long time. tried to send snapshot of ia32- installation

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Have you seen or tried this yet?

http://apipeandakeyboard.com/2013/11...and-ia32-libs/

It's confusing to me!

Confused here; this is meant for 273.
What ever I did this time before and during GE install, most of it from these links, stopped the googleearth crashes: some of the links I took info from and tried...but still no panaramio pics.
Just used synaptic and made sure things were installed and then installed GE from GE site.

http://www.wikihow.com/Install-Googl...n-Ubuntu-Linux

http://apipeandakeyboard.com/2013/11...and-ia32-libs/

http://www.google.com/earth/download/ge/agree.html downloaded from here and uses gtk option

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GoogleEarth

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/317

That is the procedure I had to go through to install Google Earth 64 bit version. Sadly the 64 bit version is the one that crashes on startup 80% of the time for me an also has the same problem of not displaying Panaramio images that the 32 bit version does.
I don't know why you were able to install ia32-libs -- all I can think of is that Canonical (the people behind Ubuntu) or the Mint developers must have gone on maintaining it after it was dropped from Debian at least two years ago.

To go back to what I said earlier if you have a version of Google Earth that works most of the time then I would leave things as they are as in my experience doing anything else is a lot of work for no gain.