Google this week released Picasa 3.5 for Windows and Mac. Sadly no Linux version was offered, a fact Google blamed on the lowly adoption figures they have for Picasa on Linux.

I think that’s a shame because Picasa is such an incredible application – its photo editing, its photo management, it’s integrated web services… All are just first class.

Picasa 3.5 brings with it: -
Facial recognition
Geo-tagging
Better text tool
Awesome Tagging tools
Photo importing improvements

There are two option to install Picasa 3.5 in Linux.

First is to simply install the Windows version via Wine. It runs okay but lacks some of the basic Linux integration that Picasa for Linux comes with.

The second is to go one further and replace Picasa 3.0 for Linux with 3.5. Everything works (bar what never has) and it runs off of the same self-contained Wine install that Picasa for Linux does – meaning you don’t lose any integration with Gnome.

This article is about installing 3.5 as a Linux version.

You will need Picasa 3.0 already installed, as well as WINE.

You can either grab a .deb of 3.0 from
picasa.google.com/linux

or add the Google testing repository to ‘Software Sources’
deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ testing non-free

Update/reload your sources after adding and then
sudo apt-get install picasa

To install Wine: -
sudo apt-get install wine

Get 3.5 FOR WINDOWS

Now grab a copy of Picasa 3.5 for windows!

http://dl.google.com/picasa/picasa35-setup.exe

Install this in wine by double-clicking on it, etc.

Installing 3.5 in Linux

Copy the installed Picasa 3.5 from

$cp -rf /home/{username}/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/Google/Picasa3 /opt/google/picasa/3.0/wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/Google/Picasa3

You’ll likely need to do this as root so
gksu nautilus

via a terminal to gain access.

Providing you already have Picasa 3.0 for Linux installed, all of the above directories should be there.

Once done, that’s it! Fire up Picasa 3.5 from your
Applications > Graphics > Picasa

menu and all of the new features are there ready and waiting.