Hello and thank you again for smxi.
I installed GE from within smxi since there was a notice that it seemed to be working in sid, but here it isn't.
I'm using antiX 8.5 with sid repos.
During compilation/installing it gave many, many alerts about not getting the versiona and something else from the packages (libraries and plugins, I think). I don't know about Linux/Debian internals but I think these alerts were from its own supplied elements.
When I run GE for the first time the splash screen ('Initializing') popped up for maybe less than a second and crashed. The terminal gave some messages about it not finding something relate to OpenGL, if I recall well.
Anyway, this is a GE bug and I should report to them but I'm telling you that it didn't work here.
I'll attach the smxi.log and GE's crash log just in case there's any use.

......
Function: non_free_installer - Primary: Start
Function: install_google_earth - Primary: Start
Function: package_group_installer - Utility: Start
Args: plain google-earth update_to_nonfree_sources
Function: assign_display_manager - Utility: Start
Args: google-earth
Function: get_default_display_manager - Utility: Start
displayManager: slim
Function: get_default_display_manager - Utility: End
displayManager: slim
Function: assign_display_manager - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: epdfview
Package Version: 0.1.7-2
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: mlocate
Package Version: 0.22.2-1
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: kdm i
Package Version:
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: gdm i
Package Version:
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: update_to_nonfree_sources - Utility: Start
Function: sm_pref_tester: smPref: update-nonfree-1; $2: ; value: 0
Function: update_sources - Utility: Start
Args: plain
Function: update_sources - Utility: End
Raw packageName list to install:
googleearth-package fakeroot
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: googleearth-package c
Package Version: 0.5.7
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Function: check_package_status - Utility: Start
Args: fakeroot c
Package Version: 1.14.4-1
Function: check_package_status - Utility: End
Tested package list to install:
googleearth-package fakeroot
Function: package_installer - Utility: Start
Args: googleearth-package fakeroot install-user-ok
Function: package_installer - Utility: End
Function: package_group_installer - Utility: End
Function: package_tester - Utility: Start
Args: (googleearth)
Package (hi|ii) status:
Function: package_tester - Utility: End
Function: install_google_earth - Primary: End
Function: non_free_installer - Primary: End
....

Google Earths crash log

Major Version 5
Minor Version 1
Build Number 3533
Build Date Nov 11 2009
Build Time 16:41:31
OS Type 11
OS Major Version 2
OS Minor Version 6
OS Build Version 32
OS Patch Version 0
Crash Signal 11
Crash Time 1271446511
Up Time 3,62489

Stacktrace from glibc:
/usr/lib/googleearth/googleearth-bin[0x805caa6]
[0xb77ba400]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libIGGfx.so(_ZN3Gap3Gfx18igOglVisualContext22initGLWindowExtensionsEv+0x80)[0xb19e38d0]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libIGGfx.so(_ZN3Gap3Gfx18igOglVisualContext4openEv+0x99)[0xb19f04f9]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libevll.so(_ZN5earth4evll13VisualContext11OpenContextEN3Gap3Gfx25igRenderDestinationFormatERKNS0_8InitInfoE+0xfb)[0xb1646b1b]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libevll.so(_ZN5earth4evll13VisualContext4initERKNS0_8InitInfoE+0x167)[0xb1646cc7]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libevll.so(_ZN5earth4evll17RenderContextImpl4initERKNS0_8InitInfoE+0x81)[0xb15528a1]
/usr/lib/googleearth/librender.so(_ZN12RenderWidget6SetApiEPN5earth4evll3APIE+0x47)[0xb53b6817]
/usr/lib/googleearth/librender.so(_ZN5earth6render12RenderWindow12createWidgetEv+0xa7)[0xb539d757]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libgoogleearth_lib.so(_ZN5earth6client12ModuleWidget9showEventEP10QShowEvent+0x94)[0xb60376f4]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget5eventEP6QEvent+0x652)[0xb6e4bcc2]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN19QApplicationPrivate13notify_helperEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0xa8)[0xb6e07750]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN12QApplication6notifyEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0x126)[0xb6e0f3de]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtCore.so.4(_ZN16QCoreApplication14notifyInternalEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0x70)[0xb7576dd4]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0xcc)[0xb6e4ed30]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate14show_recursiveEv+0x7b)[0xb6e4eacf]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x15c)[0xb6e4ec58]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x146)[0xb6e4ec42]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate14show_recursiveEv+0x7b)[0xb6e4eacf]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x15c)[0xb6e4ec58]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x146)[0xb6e4ec42]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x146)[0xb6e4ec42]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x146)[0xb6e4ec42]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x146)[0xb6e4ec42]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x42)[0xb6e4eca6]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x3bb)[0xb6e4f2e3]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10showNormalEv+0x4a)[0xb6e427d2]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libgoogleearth_lib.so(_ZN10MainWindow18readScreensizeInfoEv+0xbeb)[0xb60131db]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libgoogleearth_lib.so(_ZN5earth6client11Application12SetupMainWinENS0_3Kvw7ProductEb+0x282)[0xb605ce82]
/usr/lib/googleearth/libgoogleearth_lib.so(_ZN5earth6client11Application3runEv+0x3a9)[0xb6064df9]
/usr/lib/googleearth/googleearth-bin[0x805c77a]
/lib/i686/cmov/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xe5)[0xb5e0fb55]
/usr/lib/googleearth/googleearth-bin[0x805be71]
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Just to complement, here's the error in running GE:

antix@antiX1:~$ googleearth --help
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Google Earth has caught signal 11.



We apologize for the inconvenience, but Google Earth has crashed.
This is a bug in the program, and should never happen under normal
circumstances. A bug report and debugging data have been written
to this text file:

/home/antix/.googleearth/crashlogs/crashlog-4bc990e3.txt

Please include this file if you submit a bug report will to Google.
Back to top

I found many similar cases in code.google.com/p/earth-issues/issues/list
Most are reported by Fedora and Ubuntu users.
I'm downloading GoogleEarth.bin to see if its the same version because if there's a 'stable' version then smxi could offer to install it too?

-edit- I found this in /usr/share/doc/googleearth/README.linux

GLIBC ISSUES:

If you crash on startup, you may have an outdated version of glibc, or a bad
interaction between Nvidia's drivers and glibc's pthread support. Many of
these cases can be resolved by exporting this environment variable before
running Google Earth.

LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.10

Alternately, consider upgrading your video drivers, which has been known to
fix this situation, too. We have also seen one case of the Nvidia drivers
mistaking the type of glibc installed, which was remedied with
LD_ASSUME_KERNEL, but in this case, a driver upgrade might be a better
solution. Installing the Nvidia drivers with the --force-tls=new option
may be a solution, but please don't do this unless you are sure of what
you are doing.

Should I put that line in /etc/profile ?

-edit2- I ran:
export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.10
then I ran google earth but got this error:
antix@antiX1:~$ googleearth
/bin/sh: error while loading shared libraries: libc.so.6: cannot open shared object
file: No such file or directory

-edit3- I had to run
export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=
otherwise every command would give the error in the comment above.
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GE works just fine in sid. I use it every day and I update sid every day. Sometimes even several times a day. The mess you see when downloading GE through smxi is normal. Just let it go and it will eventually finish and you should be OK. You can also download GE from Google of course. I have no idea what antiX is all about. I use the latest Nvidia beta driver. A few times over the years GE didn't like the latest Nvidia beta driver and I let smxi drop me back a notch.
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secipolla, sounds to me like the glx extension is missing, are you sure you have it installed?

Try this:

inxi -G

and check the output, if it doesn't show your driver and other data, then that's the problem, or you needed to reinstall nvidia driver.

All the other stuff you did you should undo because that basically makes any attempt at support impossible.

googleearth installer is working fine in Testing and Sid as of a few weeks ago, when I tested it.

I don't run 64 bit so it's possible there are some issues there, but then again, that's why I don't run 64 bit, issues really are not very interesting in general, 'just works' is my preferred method.
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To run GE in 64bit requires installing 32 libraries. If you go to the Google FAQ and follow the questions, you will find a thread on it and what to do.

Found a link to Linux, one of those threads, probably dealing with Ubuntu has your answers, sorry I don't remember which one.

www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth/label?lid=1a67a0611ccf7ed1&hl=en
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Do as h2 suggests. I have GE on 32 and 64 computers working perfectly. I just removed GE on the 32 all Intel laptop so I could watch a reinstall from smxi. Same as always. Two minutes of error messages but when done it is installed and works. Do not assume in Linux that a warning or error message means failure. NEVER PANIC!
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Thank you all for your tips.
antiX is a MEPIS based distro with debian testing repos that have 'official' support by h2 for smxi. I turned it to sid because LXDE doesn't work fine in Debian testing.
This system is 32-bit, sorry for all the message logs above, this may have made things a bit confusing.
GE installed fine through smxi, I just mentioned the alerts just in case, good to know that's normal.
(the downloaded .bin didn't get past 3 or 4 lines in trying to get installed :) , now I know why there's a googleearth-package in Debian; and it's the same version)
This issue I got is quite for sure related with the nVidia driver. The README said about it and suggested that export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.10 thing. I ran export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL= to undo it, do I need to do something else?
Now I recall that the similar bug reports I saw the people were using nVidia.
h2, I ran inxi -G and this is what I got

antix@antiX1:~$ inxi -G
Graphics: Card nVidia NV44A [GeForce 6200] X.Org 1.7.6 Res: 1024x768@50.0hz
GLX Renderer N/A GLX Version N/A

I just opened NVIDIA X Server Settings and in the OpenGL/GLX Information tab it said 'Failed to query the GLX server vendor'. I never had seen that. Maybe an X update messed it? Anyway I think I must reinstall the driver but will wait to see if any of you know if there's something else I should do to undo that LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.10 thing. The system is working fine, by the way.

Thanks.
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Glad to say its workin' fine now.
I reinstalled the driver and GE and made it.

antix@antiX1:~$ inxi -G
Graphics: Card nVidia NV44A [GeForce 6200] X.Org 1.7.6 Res: 1024x768@50.0hz
GLX Renderer GeForce 6200/AGP/SSE/3DNOW! GLX Version 2.1.2 NVIDIA 195.36.15

Thanks again folks!
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GLX Renderer N/A GLX Version N/A

anytime you see this you know that an upgrade overwrote the nvidia glx component and you have to reinstall the driver. This is in fact the tool I use to test driver installs for sgfxi, it's quick and easy, and always lets me know if the non free driver or the free driver is running things, or if glx got overwritten.

smxi if you use it to upgrade tracks the xorg version and alerts you when you need to reinstall the graphics driver for nvidia/fglrx, when xorg or when kernel changes.
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