Upgrading to 5.1 should do it.

It’s that simple.

After upgrading Google Earth (a fresh install works fine) on Ubuntu Karmic Koala, you may see this at the end of your install:

Installing desktop icon…
./googleearth-bin: ./libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.9′ not found (required by ./libgoogleearth_lib.so)
./googleearth-bin: ./libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.9′ not found (required by ./libbase.so)

Google Earth will not launch at all, but here’s how to fix it. You need to remove the 2 library files that Google Earth is complaining about. Here’s how:

Move out or copy the following 2 files from your Google Earth installation directory like so:

google-earth$ mv libstdc++.so.6 libstdc++.so.6.bak
google-earth$ mv libgcc_s.so.1 libgcc_s.so.1.bak

Google Earth should then launch.

So there you have it. Another half-assed tech note. Hopefully we’ll get some new gaming reviews when Dan finally takes a break from playing Demon’s Souls and drooling.