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Google Earth coming to Linux
winehq.com — Just after Picasa was released we find out they are also working on Google Earth for Linux also. (info is under "Picasa Port to Linux" section)
CptnObvious- 743 diggs
- digg it
- bsoric, on 10/12/2007, -13/+22If only it was actually a linux port and not a Wine patch.
- t3hX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+33It's linked against libwine, it's not as bad as making the exe run in wine.
Still, it's good news! - Cjattwood, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23It's not "just a Wine patch", it's running parts of Wine sure, but it's still running natively, so it's not just emulating the Windows version of Google Earth.
- soogy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+51Wine is not an emulator.
- Ensnared, on 10/12/2007, -28/+9"Wine is not an emulator."
Wrong, even if that's the "official line". Wine is most definitely an emulator. It doesn't emulate a hardware platform, but a software platform, but it's still an emulator.
In computer terminology, emulation is the process of imitating the functions of another system, either by modifying the hardware or the software, in order to run the same programs with the same result as if one was actually running the imitated system.
This is what Wine does, it just doesn't do it the same way traditional emulators do it, but it's still an emulator per definition. - trollenlord, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2It doesn't really matter what Wine is. I would still rather get real pure native versions.
- timf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Has anybody actually read the article?
Google earth won't be using wine in any way, it will be a native port using Qt and GL.
And apart from that, this is old news. - The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7"Google earth won't be using wine in any way, it will be a native port using Qt and GL."
From what the "post" says (it's a bit hard to follow), Google Earth uses Qt and OpenGL, but will be using winelib to provide the windows API's it uses. - bsinclair2006, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Way to go Google. You are really on your way to Google Everything just like the people on this article claims! Keep it up.
http://www.oozm.com/search/index.php/List_of_Acquisitions_by_Google - burke, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Why is Ensnared modded down? He's completely right!
- Rice, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9No, Ensnared is wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WINE
Go learn something, twits. - dolson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5t3hx, it is not using winelib. Read it. Or since you couldn't be bothered, here's an excerpt:
"...the traditional thinking was the code needed to be moved from Windows to Linux and completely recompiled with Winelib. Well, that approach doesn't really offer any performance advantages and about the only benefit is you have the ability to link against native Linux libraries. Linking against native libraries would allow for better integration, except no one ever bothered to go that far. Google's approach is much more pragmatic. By shipping a known, self-contained version of Wine they can ensure future regressions don't slip in that break Picasa. At 24MB for the entire download (9MB of Picasa, 12MB of Wine, and 3MB for a Gecko engine) it's conceivable other companies would be interested in doing the same."
24MB download just for a 9MB app is ridiculous, considering that I already have Firefox installed as well as Wine. - 5la5hd0tter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4NO it's not linked against libwine! FTFA:
Many people assume that when porting a Windows app to Linux using Wine, the best thing to do is link Winelib into the application to create a native Linux application. Not so! It's just as effective, and a heck of a lot easier, to run the same binary on both Windows and Wine. So that's what the Picasa team did. Picasa for Linux uses slightly different text messages, but the .exe file is identical for both Windows and Linux.
IT IS an exe running under Wine. - CptnObvious, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1dolson, I think once WINE gets all the necessary patches in an actual release they will make it dynamically linked. At least I hope although proprietary programs are typically staticly linked.
- Ensnared, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Wine allows Windows applications to run in a non-native environment. This falls under any textbook definition of the word "emulate". It doesn't imitate the environment through traditional means, but the mechanism through which the goal is achieved does not have any bearing on what the goal actually is. It emulates a non-native environment, and is therefore an emulator - unless the word "emulate" has suddenly been re-defined in the recent future - in which case, please provide a source for that information.
@Rice: The Wikipedia article you posted has nothing to do with this - everyone knows what the acronym "Wine" stands for, but that's only because it's not a traditional computer emulator. But please - read your own posted article, then click on the link defining what Wine is (a compatibility layer), and see what that says. It refers to emulation, so you pretty much proved my point by posting it, and you didn't even realise it. You clearly need to take your own advice. Twit. - burke, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4"No, Ensnared is wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WINE
Go learn something, twits."
I may have to start throwing around some stronger words than 'twit'.
Wine runs Windows executables.
On Linux.
Not on Windows.
To do this, it has to be able to read the binary (emulate part of windows), and make the environment similar to the Windows environment (emulate it).
em-u-late: To strive to equal or excel...
How is wine not an emulator then? Why are we being modded DOWN?!
Wine makes the windows binaries think they are being run in Windows. BY EMULATING THE WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT!
from your wikipedia article:
"Rather than acting as a full emulator, Wine implements a compatibility layer, providing alternative implementations of the DLLs that Windows programs call."
It's not a full emulator in the traditional sense, but it does EMULATE WINDOWS. - aptget, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Wine isn't an emulator, it's a compatibility layer to the Win 32 API.
- burke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5But don't you see that compatibility layer implies emulation? The compatibility layer *emulates* the windows API. It buffers calls, replacing them with native counterparts. Emulation.
from the Wine FAQ:
"as the name says, Wine Is Not a (CPU) Emulator."
...meaning it is a rudmimentary software emulation layer. - pufuwozu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Ensnared:
You're thinking of simulation, not emulation.
- t3hX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+33It's linked against libwine, it's not as bad as making the exe run in wine.
- holydope, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Great News!
- axentrix, on 10/12/2007, -23/+10Googlecrap, why the hell port windows-software using wine?
I want native linux-support, not wine....
Great news, that they care for linux, but when it is only half the way, why care?- scheper, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12Because half way is better than no way.
- sathia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10you won't have the sources, what's the interest on having it written in native Linux or linked with lib-wine?
works for me - axentrix, on 10/12/2007, -17/+5@sathia
Don't like using windows API in any way, under linux, therefor. - MySchizoBuddy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18axentrix and besorix u both r idiots
Using libwine is same as using Qt libraries or GTK libraries. there is NO difference. IF linking to QT library is native then linking to Wine libraries is ALSO native.
Atleast have some basic knowledge then post comments - ozroy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18What difference does it make what libraries it uses? It runs without you having to know anything about how it works. It only matters to you because someone mentioned windows.
The application works without any problems. It's easy for google to maintain, that means we will get all the updates the windows version gets. That means we won't be waiting 6 months to get the features everyone else already has. Plus wine gets free contributions to it's code. It's a win/win situation.
It's only half arsed if a port gets made, they don't touch it again and we don't get all the features. - donatj, on 10/12/2007, -12/+3Man this guy got downmodded for a decent point...
- dolson, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2MySchizoBuddy, u r an idiot.
Picasa is "ported" in on way, other than shipping a Windows EXE with a specific version of Wine.
At least have some basic knowledge, then post comments.
- kraemate, on 10/12/2007, -16/+2Google should invest some of it's massive fortune to develop something for Linux..( ok ok..and maybe some precious man-hours as well).
Wine emulation is fine..but it's still emulation!- MySchizoBuddy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@kraemate
cool another one who doesn't know the ABC but wants to write a whole essay - manfesto, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Um...
Wine Is Not an Emulator.
Anybody complaining about using Wine to port is rather unclear as to how Wine works - winelib allows Windows executables to call Windows DLLs - there is no emulation and no (or very little) performance hit. - cwcheang, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5exactly.. in fact some apps run even faster in wine.
- MySchizoBuddy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@kraemate
- aAnaRchY, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21-W-ine-Is-N-ot-E-mulator!
- Tyrekicker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7We open source tragics sure love our recursive acronyms.
GNU, PHP, WINE, EMACS, GIFT, LAME, RPM and the list goes on. - dumbkiwi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8What's recursive about Redhat Package Manager?
- epinephrine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Some people call it RPM Package Manager.
- inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3What recursion is in PHP...
Personal Home Page, at least when they released the 1st version, PHP was ment for Personal Home Page - Tyrekicker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@dumbkiwi... RPM is formerly the 'Redhat Package Manager'. If you care to look at the official RPM website, it is now "RPM Package Manager" and has been for some time - http://www.rpm.org
@inkubux... similarly, PHP is known as the PHP Hypertext Preprocessor - http://php.net - zaguar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1What's recursive about GIFT? (GNU Image Finding Tool)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIFT_(Gnu) - FilCab, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1What's recursive about Editor MACroS?
- Tyrekicker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3GIFT - giFT Internet File Transfer, unofficially: "giFT Isn't FastTrack"
The EMACS one is a bit obscure, (and not the 'official' acronym) but 'Emacs Makes All Computing Simple'.
I am sick of explaining them all. Check out a heap of them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_acronym - The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Emacs Makes All Computing Simple"
Bahaha, oh man, somebody had a laugh making that up.
- Tyrekicker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7We open source tragics sure love our recursive acronyms.
- micaheli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17Its free - Quit complaining!
If you were being charged, or having it forced onto your computer, I could see you complaining about it.. but you aren't.. Just download it, and be happy that a company is even acknowledging linux's presence in the market. Most don't.- dolson, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4It'd be hard for a company who runs Linux servers to not realize it exists, don't you think?
- nils, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2"No timeline for that application's release was revealed at this time."
Posting stuff to digg for the sake of posting stuff to digg is a bad habit people. Get back to us when there is something newsworthy. - asraniel, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3"When asked if the additions to WINE would bootstrap Google Earth's porting progress, DiBona answered in the negative, explaining that Google Earth relied on Qt and GL libraries and code, so additional WINE support would not help. No timeline for that application's release was revealed at this time. "
someone should tell google that qt and opengl work nativ under linux... porting should be easy- Skrot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@asraniel:
I think google knows that Qt and OpenGL works native under linux. That's why additional WINE support would not help the porting process of Google Earth.
It doesn't say anywhere that porting the app is a lot of work, it just says that libwine is not the right tool for the job. :)
- Skrot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@asraniel:
- MyNightwish, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Linux just gets more appealing
- noamsml, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Why should they need to use WINE? Doesn't Google Earth already use OpenGL and QT?
- trollenlord, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Yes. The OpenGL stuff would require some minimal changes for a real port. And they already have the commercial QT licenses to compile that part natively. If they don't have they cost less than 5k EUR anyways. QT was designed so that it requires no changes at all when changing platform. It's the QT's problem, not application developers', to adapt to different platforms.
In other words: One average skilled programmer could give us real native versions of Google Earth and Picasa after couple days of work. There's no sane reason for using Wine at all. I'm not against Wine (I've run games with it) but it's just useless extra component there.
- trollenlord, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Yes. The OpenGL stuff would require some minimal changes for a real port. And they already have the commercial QT licenses to compile that part natively. If they don't have they cost less than 5k EUR anyways. QT was designed so that it requires no changes at all when changing platform. It's the QT's problem, not application developers', to adapt to different platforms.
- dukeinlondon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Give me google talk with video please.
- CptnObvious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3well Google Talk uses Jabber which is an open IM protocal and Jingle for the VoIP which Google released as open source so soon many IM clients will support it. Not sure about video though.
- heathenx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5everyone stop bitching for christ sake! if google earth runs, and it's stable, who cares if it's a wine port or a native linux port. linux needs applications. can you imagine if linux and os x had all the apps windows had? might be a different world...
- brentcore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3lol @ "linux needs applications"
Have you installed a modern distro lately? - angrykeyboarder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Have you ever run Windows software under Wine? The software one is running has the tremendously ugly gray Windows 9x look. It makes Motif look downright slick and elegant.
Then there are the Windows file dialog boxes. And the "c:Windows" crap. And in the case of Picasa it creates it's own "system tray". It won't use the system tray in KDE or the notification area in GNOME.
No thanks, Google. It's a great Windows app, but I'll stick with native apps like F-Spot or Gwenview.
- brentcore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3lol @ "linux needs applications"
- futaris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Like others have said, Google Earth is a QT app that uses OpenGL. Why can't they just open source it??? It would rock if Google Earth could run on some embedded devices. Check out the hacks that people are trying to do for Google Earth on Windows, like Goops @ http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=68799 ...
- MemoryDump, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Picasa port for Linux? damn.. I missed that memo! That is sooo sweet if it's true.
- angrykeyboarder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Try it. It's not all it's cracked up to be.
- angrykeyboarder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Now if they'd just revamp that ugly mess known as Picasa for Linux all would be right in the Google world.
- lotusleaf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://digg.com/linux_unix/Google_Earth_for_Linux_(beta)_Released_
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