How to Install Google Earth on Ubuntu Linux

Google Earth Pro brings satellite imagery, 3D terrain, and interactive global exploration to your Ubuntu desktop. Whether you need to scout hiking trails, research geographic features for academic projects, plan virtual tours, or explore historical imagery of changing landscapes, Google Earth provides the tools to do it. This guide walks through installing Google Earth Pro on Ubuntu using Google’s official repository, configuring essential settings for smooth performance, and troubleshooting common dependency issues.

Google Earth Pro currently works on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Ubuntu 25.10 and newer releases (including the upcoming 26.04 LTS) are not compatible due to a library transition. The libxml2 package Google Earth depends on has been replaced by libxml2-16 in these releases, and Google has not updated their package. If you’re running Ubuntu 25.10 or newer, consider using Google Earth Web in your browser instead.

Before You Install: System Requirements

Google Earth Pro requires a 64-bit Ubuntu system with hardware acceleration for smooth 3D navigation. Make sure your system meets these minimums:

• Operating system: 64-bit Ubuntu desktop or derivative with hardware acceleration enabled.
• CPU and RAM: A dual-core CPU with SSE2 support and at least 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended for high-resolution imagery).
• Storage: 2 GB of free disk space for the application and local cache.
• Graphics: GPU or integrated graphics compatible with OpenGL 2.0 or later for fluid globe rendering.

After confirming your hardware meets the requirements, refresh your package lists to avoid dependency conflicts:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

These commands first refresh your package sources and then upgrade outdated packages.

Installing Google Earth

Follow these steps to install Google Earth on Ubuntu and begin exploring the world with its powerful tools.

Check Whether Google Earth Pro Is Already Installed

First, before adding repositories or packages, confirm whether Google Earth Pro already exists on your system:

google-earth-pro --version

If the command returns a version number, you can skip directly to the update instructions later in this guide. Otherwise, if no version appears, continue with the installation steps below.

Step 1: Install Essential Packages

Install the necessary tools and certificates for secure repository access:

sudo apt install curl software-properties-common ca-certificates -y

This command installs curl for downloading files, software-properties-common for repository management, and certificates for secure HTTPS connections.

Step 2: Add the Google APT Repository

Import the GPG Key

Next, Google provides a GPG key to authenticate the repository and its packages. Import the key by running:

curl -fSsL https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/google-earth.gpg > /dev/null

Add the Repository

After importing the key, create a modern DEB822 .sources file so APT tracks the Google Earth repository cleanly. This approach mirrors how other Google products like Chrome on Ubuntu handle repository configuration:

cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb/
Suites: stable
Components: main
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/google-earth.gpg
EOF

Prevent Duplicate Repository Entries

The Google Earth installer attempts to recreate a legacy google-earth-pro.list file even when a curated .sources entry already exists. Neutralize that behavior with a read-only placeholder so APT never reports duplicate repositories:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo chmod 444 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list

Step 3: Update APT and Install Google Earth

Refresh your system’s package list to include the new Google Earth repository:

sudo apt update

Once the package list updates, install Google Earth Pro with the following command:

sudo apt install google-earth-pro-stable -y

Verify the installation completed successfully by checking the version:

google-earth-pro --version

You should see output similar to:

7.3.6

Step 4: Launch Google Earth

Once installed, you can launch Google Earth using either the terminal or the graphical user interface (GUI).

Launch Google Earth Pro from the Terminal

Run the following command in your terminal to open Google Earth Pro:

google-earth-pro

Open Google Earth Pro from the Application Menu

Alternatively, search for “Google Earth Pro” in your application menu and click on the icon to launch the program.

Essential Google Earth Settings and Features

Google Earth offers a versatile set of features to enhance your exploration experience. Follow these tips to make the most of your first-time use.

Performance Optimization Tips

To ensure smooth navigation, adjust these settings to match your hardware capabilities:

• Graphics Settings: Reduce texture quality and disable trees or terrain shadows if you experience lag on modest hardware.
• 3D Buildings: Disable this feature on older systems to improve rendering performance while maintaining detailed map views.

Useful Features to Explore

• Sunlight Tool: Visualize landscapes at different times of day to analyze shadows, seasonal changes, or enjoy scenic views.
• Ocean Layers: Explore underwater terrains, marine ecosystems, trenches, and shipwrecks for educational and interactive discovery.
• Historical Imagery: Use the clock icon in the toolbar to view satellite images over time, perfect for studying urban growth and environmental changes.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

• Arrow keys: Pan across the map smoothly.
• Shift + Arrow keys: Rotate the view to explore from different angles.
• Ctrl + Alt + S: Capture a screenshot to save or share your discoveries.

Updating or Removing Google Earth

Keeping Google Earth updated ensures you have the latest features and security patches. If needed, you can also uninstall the application and clean up associated files.

Update Google Earth

To update Google Earth to the latest version, first refresh your system’s package list:

sudo apt update

After refreshing the package list, upgrade Google Earth Pro to the latest version:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade google-earth-pro-stable

Uninstall Google Earth

To remove Google Earth, uninstall the package and clean up orphaned dependencies:

sudo apt remove google-earth-pro-stable -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

Remove the repository configuration and GPG key:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.sources /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/google-earth.gpg

Refresh the package cache and verify removal:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy google-earth-pro-stable

Expected output confirming the package is no longer available:

N: Unable to locate package google-earth-pro-stable

Troubleshooting Tips

Ubuntu 25.10 and Newer: Unsupported Due to Library Changes

If you’re running Ubuntu 25.10 (Questing Quokka), Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, or any newer release, Google Earth Pro cannot be installed. The installation fails with this error:

Unsatisfied dependencies:
 google-earth-pro-stable : Depends: libxml2 but it is not installable

This happens because Ubuntu 25.10 and newer replaced the libxml2 package with libxml2-16, which uses a different shared library version (libxml2.so.16 instead of libxml2.so.2). Google’s package explicitly depends on the old library name, and there’s no workaround until Google updates their .deb package.

Check your Ubuntu version to confirm whether this affects you:

lsb_release -rs

If the output shows 25.10 or higher, use Google Earth Web in your browser as an alternative.

Fix libxml2 Dependency Issues on Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04

On supported Ubuntu versions (22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS), libxml2 dependency errors typically mean the library isn’t installed. Install it along with development headers:

sudo apt install libxml2 libxml2-dev -y

If the package manager reports libxml2 is already installed but Google Earth still won’t launch, check the installed version:

dpkg -l | grep libxml2

Expected output on working systems:

ii  libxml2:amd64    2.9.14+dfsg-1.3ubuntu3    amd64    GNOME XML library

Run Google Earth from the terminal to see the exact error message:

google-earth-pro

If libxml2 issues persist, reinstall Google Earth Pro completely to rebuild dependency links:

sudo apt remove google-earth-pro-stable
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt update
sudo apt install google-earth-pro-stable -y

Fix xdg-icon-resource Error During Installation

On minimal Ubuntu installations or containers, the post-install script may fail with:

Error: Could not find xdg-icon-resource

Install the missing desktop utilities package and complete the configuration:

sudo apt install xdg-utils -y
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Resolve Repository Conflicts

If you previously installed Google Earth using a different guide or method, you might have duplicate repository entries causing update conflicts. Confirm which files APT sees by listing everything that starts with google in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/:

ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google*

Keep the curated google-earth.sources file you created earlier and convert any leftover .list files into harmless placeholders so Google’s installer cannot recreate duplicate entries:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo chmod 444 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list

The /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.sources file is the authoritative repository definition. Leave it untouched, and only neutralize legacy .list files to prevent “configured multiple times” warnings.

Finally, refresh your package list after cleaning up conflicting entries:

sudo apt update

Conclusion

You now have Google Earth Pro configured on Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS with repository-based updates, performance settings for smooth 3D navigation, and troubleshooting steps for common dependency issues. Use the historical imagery feature to track landscape changes over time, explore ocean floors with the underwater terrain layers, or plan routes with the measurement tools. For newer Ubuntu releases where Google Earth isn’t compatible, Google Earth Web provides browser-based access to the same satellite imagery and exploration features.