Google Earth on Ubuntu 8.10

[#1]

I also cannot get Google Earth to install - graphics all fouled up and dead slow. Ubuntu 8.10 on Intel D930 with 2GB memory and Intel 82G33/G31 graphics.
Downloaded the GoogleEarthLinux.bin.  Did the chmod to make it executable and ran it
On install I get :
loki_setup: Suspect size value for option option
/usr/lib/gio/modules/libgiogconf.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgiogconf.so
/usr/lib/gio/modules/libgvfsdbus.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgvfsdbus.so
/usr/lib/gio/modules/libgioremote-volume-monitor.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS64
Failed to load module: /usr/lib/gio/modules/libgioremote-volume-monitor.so
loki_setup: Suspect size value for option option
Installing mimetypes...
Installing desktop menu entries...
Installing desktop icon...

Relative newbie to Linux (just got clean after 20years of MS indoctrination!) Grateful for any help.
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[#2]

have a look at these instructions http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=195382

[#3]

It's generally a bad idea to load non-repositary software and if you must, then load it into it's own directory.
If you can get a Linux binary (ideally a .deb file but failing that a .rpm etc file)
Use the alien command/package to install .rpm etc files.
The trouble with having non-distro packages is that they can get destroyed by the next upgrade.
To do it the proper way - with all dependencies resolved,
You can get get (non-latest) ubuntu version of googlearth on the mediubuntu source.
It works fine for me.