Ubuntu: Up and Running

Chapter 13. Playing Games

Although Windows and OS X computers make up about 99% of desktop operating systems, there is still a vast amount of software available for Linux, and games are no exception. The reason for this may be that historically Linux users have tended to be programmers, so they would naturally want to port the games they write to Linux.

But Linux is also a very powerful OS with the ability to emulate other operating systems at virtually full speed. This means that a large number of Windows-only games can now be played on Linux.

In other words, just because you use Ubuntu, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be missing out on great software, as I’ll demonstrate in this chapter.

Built-in Games

A default Ubuntu installation comes with over a dozen fun games that you can run straight away from the Applications → Games menu, as shown in Figure 13-1. The main games are in the Games folder, whereas more logic-oriented games can be found in the Logic subfolder.

If you’re a migrant from Windows, you’ll be pleased to see the AisleRiot Solitaire game, which is similar to Windows Solitaire, although you’ll need to use the game’s Klondike menu and check the “Three card deals” box to make the game play the same as the Windows default version (see Figure 13-2).

There’s also a Mines game, which is the equivalent of Windows Minesweeper, shown in Figure 13-3.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users will also be pleased to see the Mahjongg game already installed in Ubuntu (see ...