Google Earth Pro, installation on Ubuntu 18.04 / Linux Mint 19

In the next article we are going to take a look at Google Earth. This program, for those who do not know it yet, will give us the possibility of view a virtual globe, map, or get geographic information. About this program, a colleague already spoke to us in a previous article. It was originally called EarthViewer 3D and was created by Keyhole, Inc.

The Google Earth map is composed of an overlay of images obtained by satellite images, aerial photographs and geographic information from GIS data models from around the world. Although it was previously a paid application, today we can install it for free. It will allow us users to fly from space to our neighborhood. We can also search for schools, restaurants, parks and hotels, see images of interesting places, and much more.

The program will allow us to explore distant lands or re-familiarize ourselves with that place we visit on the other side of the planet. All these things can be explored through layers that include roads, borders, places and more. Do not forget that we can see the world at street level with Street View, which has integrated.

Some general features of Google Earth

We will be able to make use of the 'flight simulator'. This will allow users to easily discover new exciting places. With its 3D images, we will be able to enjoy complete recreations of cities, buildings, trees, land, and many other things.
Pictures and program can be used personally as long as the attributions, copyright and the Google logo are maintained. Neither do you have to pay for the use of images or for updating them, however everything related to commercial exploitation is restricted. You can check the conditions of use on the website enabled by Google to answer questions of this type.
In the visualization of the images, it is not that there is censorship as such, but as it is obvious yes security facilities and critical infrastructures are protected whose exposure may pose a danger. Likewise, certain buildings and properties are 'pixelated' to preserve the right to privacy and intimacy of their inhabitants.
Likewise, it must be taken into account that Google Earth is a powerful but not foolproof tool. It must be borne in mind that not even the most advanced of satellites can capture every corner of the Earth in optimal conditions.
Google Earth Pro does not provide images captured by satellite in real time, it only provides static images. Regarding the updating of the images, there is no established periodization or a strict calendar. In general, the aspiration is that the images that appear in the program are not more than 3 years old. But this depends on various factors such as accessibility to the area of the platforms and providers that Google relies on.

The above are only some of the general characteristics of this program. Obviously in the program we can find many more things. We can consult them in the project website.

Install Google Earth Pro

For install the latest version of Google Earth Pro on Ubuntu / Linux Mint, open a Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T). In it copy the following commands:

wget -O google-earth64.deb http://dl.google.com/dl/earth/client/current/google-earth-stable_current_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i google-earth64.deb

sudo apt-get -f install; rm google-earth64.deb

After installation, you just have to look for the program on your computer.