Upgrading Picasa from 3.0.0 to 3.8.0 on Ubuntu

The short answer: You can do it by downloading the Windows version and double clicking it. If you already have wine installed it will just take care of everything. If you don't have wine installed grab it via the software manager before going anywhere.

Don't Worry!

• It remembers all of your starred photos
• It remembers all of your organization as far as Folders go

What Sucks!

• Transferring any groups of images you've stored in "Albums" sucks, but it can be done!

1. Make sure Picasa is closed
2. Navigate to your home directory (ie. Adam)
3. Hit Ctrl+H to display hidden folders
4. Navigate through to
   .google > picasa > 3.0 > drive_c > Documents and Settings > YOURNAME > Local Settings > Application Data > Google > Picasa2Albums
5. Here you'll find a file with a crazy name filled with numbers and letters, double click it
6. These .pal files are what store your Album data, so copy all of them or open a new window
7. Navigate to:
   Applications > Wine > Browse C Drive > users > YOURNAME > Local Settings > Application Data > Google > Picasa2Albums > CRAZY NUMBERS
   The reason the directory structure is so similar is because a program named Wine was installed along with your original Picasa installation, but in a non-standard directory.

Why you should upgrade

Note that most of these reasons were, for whatever reason, poorly marketed.

• The area that displays the basic exif data now sits on the left instead of over top the image
• You have extended exif data available through the (i) button
• There is an easy to overlook (and poorly advertised) double arrow button above the tray that lets you hide the basic fixes menu! You can actually view images in full screen!
• You can install the Picasa to Facebook add on! To do this download the .pbz file (here) and then navigate to your downloads folder and copy it. Applications > Wine > Browse C Drive > Program Files > Google > Picasa 3 > buttons and paste it. Boo ya!

Notes

• After the first install make sure to go to Tools > Folder Management and remove your music directories and any other directories picasa shouldn't be browsing. If you click on Pictures folder at the top do not click on the Pictures buried in your "My Documents" or it will start registering duplicates.
• I don't think face-movie features work, I personally don't care. They are dumb
• I don't know how effective face recognition features are.

Deets: I am running Ubuntu 10.04, Wine 1.2, Picasa 3.0.0 > 3.8.0, Chrome setup as the go to browser (System>Preferences>Preferred Applications)