Google Earth runs first time, not again
 

Ubuntu Jaunty, Dell Inspiron 1545, 2 GB RAM.

When I install Google Earth from the *.bin file from the Google website, it will run the first time from the start button that appears on the splash screen after the installation is complete.

When I try to run it subsequent times from the menu, the Google Earth interface loads, but the main window never populates with the picture of the globe and the program does not respond to commands. It just lies there.

If I remove it (sudo rm [path]/googleearth) and reinstall it, it will do the same thing--run once, then make a rude gesture to me.

I tried removing it and installing the package from Medibuntu (which I learned about here), and that won't even run the first time. It will load the interface but stops short of loading Google's picture of the earth.

This occurs both under Gnome and Fluxbox.

Thoughts?

AFAIK Google Earth doesn't show much in terms of errors, maybe running the command from a terminal window will spit out errors, hints or clues. Else check if there's any crash logs in your ~/.googleearth/crashlogs/ directory.

No crashlogs or crashlogs directory, but there was this file, shown with a broken link:

instance-running-lock

Maybe the problem is that, instead of not starting properly, the previous instance isn't shutting down cleanly and leaving stuff behind.

Thanks!

Update:

I removed all vestiges of Google Earth.

I reinstalled from the googleearth*.bin file.

The program installed an ran.

After I exited it using File-->Exit, I checked ~/.googleearth. There was not lock file left behind.

I started it again and it did not run, with the same symptoms I described in the first post. After I exited the program (File-->Exit), I again checked ~/.googleearth. This time a lock file was left behind.

I still have no idea what's going on (or not going on), but the leftover lock file seems to had nothing to do with it.

The "instance-running-lock" appears to be a symbolic link, linking to the last process Id it ran with. If you can run 'sudo [path]/googleearth' OK then Googleearth has a permission problem. If you run a desktop with Compiz/Beryl or Xfwm/Metacity compositing, try switching off desktop effects and see if that works. Else it might be a video problem related to the card, driver or libraries. Posting HW specs then could help.

The box came with Gnome. I usually run Fluxbox. I get the same behavior under both.

It runs fine, perfectly, once. I can "fly" here and there, change the display elements, etc. But it won't run again.

Here are the tech specs from the confirmation email when I ordered it It has since upgraded itself to Ubuntu 9.04 (and did so without a hitch):

Intel 174; Celeron 174; 585 (1MB cache/2.16GHz/667Mhz FSB)

2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz

Glossy, widescreen 15.6 inch display (1366x768)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD

160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

Ubuntu Desktop Edition version 8.10

Integrated 10/100 Network Card

8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)

High Definition Audio 2.0

Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card

Integrated 1.3 MP Webcam

You wrote "When I install Google Earth from the *.bin file from the Google..."
How the heck did you do it?
I try running the bin from a command line and get the following:
Running Ubuntu 9.04 on an HP Pavilion.

If you're installing as root -- don't. It's designed to be run by an ordinary user and breaks all the *n*x application conventions by installing everything under $HOME. Yuck!

@frankbell If you have any firewall running, try disabling it. GE has firewall requirements I haven't been able to figure out yet and they seem to keep changing. First run maybe "phones home" over different ports from subsequent runs ... ??? Long shot but might be worth trying.

Thanks for the input, got it working. Your right it's a dumb thing to put it in $HOME, must be the MS brain trying to comprehend Linux.

Thanks for the suggestion.

(five minutes later)

No luck.

I also tried installing it as user, as the other poster suggested. No luck.

I've installed it as root on other computers and had it run just fine.

I have run it successfully on other computers, both running Linux and That Other OS, with firewalls. As a rule of thumb, I don't put computers on the internet without a firewall and an AV. I don't care what the OS is.

It's hardly a big issue, as I consider it to be more a toy than anything else. But I do like to make stuff work.

Thanks for your ideas.

Fixed. It turned out to be malformed permissions around ~/[username]/.googleearth and some of its files.

Root had exclusive rights and user did not have adequate rights.