Google Earth crashes and restarts X session

[galmeida2007]

I 've just upgraded from Feisty to Gutsy. Now Google Earth, that worked Ok, stopped working. Now, at startup, after displaying the splash screen crashes and restarts the graphics session (It makes the gnome session to crash too).

In Feisty it displayed in a choppy way under Compiz or Beryl, but Ok in Metacity. Now things became a lot worse regarding Google Earth (GE).
I have this problem in a Dell Latitude D520 laptop with a Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Intel Graphics Controller. Compiz runs Ok in Gutsy.

I have an older desktop with an older Intel graphics card and things are the same as in Feisty: Choppy display of GE under Compiz or Beryl, but OK in Metacity.

In a third computer with a Nvidia graphics card GE runs Ok in Compiz or Beryl in Feisty, and remains the same under Gutsy.

It seems that GE under AIGLX still has problems and in some cases with some graphics cards those problems became a lot worse and critical.

[h_kerrigan]

I have the same problem. After the update Google Earth stop working.

[galmeida2007]

Originally Posted by h_kerrigan I have the same problem. After the update Google Earth stop working.

I found an ugly solution reading other posts. It works for me.

I created the following script:

#!/bin/sh
DISPLAY=:0 /home/gerardo/google-earth/googleearth %f

I set the permissions to allow it to be executable, and in the launcher already created in the desktop I change the command to point to this script (In my case I named it ge)

This prevents Google Earth (GE) from crashing and making the session crash. GE only complains about a missing font, but you can ignore this warning and continue.

The downside is that GE runs in full screen mode and the only way to switch to any other application you can have running in your graphics session is to exit GE. Another problem is that GE sometimes displays some black lines in the graphics that disappear by zooming in or out.

I 'm not sure, but it seems that for this particular graphics card GE and composite mode are not compatible. Unfortunately this composite mode is enabled by default in Gutsy to allow compiz run.

My xorg.conf file follows:

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf(5) manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "latam"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
Option "SHMConfig" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
Driver "i810"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "True"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

I hope this information can help Gutsy developers find a solution.
Another issue I found that started in Feisty and continues in Gutsy is that dhcp client has problems getting dhcp offers from the dhcp server, in particular with a wireless card (For fixed IP address settigs it works OK and using WEP encryption. But it timeouts getting dhcpoffers.)

Sometimes it works, other times not. Uninstalling dhcdbd and network-manager made things improve a little.

It seems that Gutsy is even more closer to an alpha state than Feisty. I should have waited more before upgrading.

Another issue is that automatix developers warn you to uninstall all things it installs before upgrading to Gutsy. Unfortunately for me, I learned this *after* upgrading. I could install the new automatix version, but not all things I installed with it are listed now and if I want to uninstall something, using synaptic seems to be the only way now for me.

[reyfer]

Originally Posted by h_kerrigan I have the same problem. After the update Google Earth stop working.

That was one of my issues after upgrading, along with the system being slow and 3d not working. But it all started working great after I removed evms. What I did was

sudo apt-get remove evms
sudo update-initramfs -u

And all is great now. Apparently evms takes on 90% of RAM and up to 65% of the CPU in a cycle trying to find and mount an unexisting device (the infamous "device-mapper:table:254:0:linear:dm-linear: Device lookup failed" problem)

[galmeida2007]

Originally Posted by reyfer That was one of my issues after upgrading, along with the system being slow and 3d not working. But it all started working great after I removed evms. What I did was sudo apt-get remove evms sudo update-initramfs -u And all is great now. Apparently evms takes on 90% of RAM and up to 65% of the CPU in a cycle trying to find and mount an unexisting device (the infamous "device-mapper:table:254:0:linear:dm-linear: Device lookup failed" problem)

I tried that. I didn't solve my problem

[Krextyl]

Originally Posted by reyfer sudo apt-get remove evms sudo update-initramfs -u

Well, went back and tried this and it now works or at least keeps mine from crashing out, but now its extremely slow / crawling speed.

anyother suggestions.

Also is there a way to check some sort of a log for errors?? (I'm still a noob)

[cerebro]

Same problem here after upgrading to Gutsy on a HP Compaq nx5000. GE starts, then displays a message asking for an unspecified new driver, then immediately crashes the whole system asking me to log in again and leaving anything in a screwed up state. Trick mentioned above did not work.

[helpee]

did a fresh install of gusty server, same problem.
dell latitude d520, intel chipset 945gm

worked fine on feisty...

yes, i have the desktop installed

[jjb123]

I am having the same problem, I am in Gutsy. Sounds like just a bug that google will need to fix

[Krextyl]

Hey all looks like i'm in the same boat, brand new PC build (see sig for specs) and fresh 7.10 install and when I run GE as it loads and it's bringing the "world" into view it crashes me all the way out of X back to a login screen everytime like clockwork. Anyone have success in getting it to work yet?