Chapter 17: Fun and Games in Linux

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Introduction

Throughout this book we have focused on solid, practical Linux features and Linux-related applications. The final section of the book, which follows this chapter, is one of very intense and serious Linux shell manipulation that is certainly not for the faint of heart. Now seems like an appropriate time to relax a bit and find out how we can have some fun with Linux.

It is a fact that many, if not most, PC users spend at least some of their time playing games on their computers. Some users, like the author, spend far too much time playing games! Before you can truly embrace Linux, you will probably want to know what games Linux has for you. The unfortunate fact is that many of the major commercial PC games are not available for Linux. However, the good news is that some are, and Linux ships with several games already installed. In this chapter we will first look at the games Linux comes with, and then we will explore where you can find other games.

When you go to the Start menu, you will find a section for games. This includes a few obvious games like KPoker and KBackgammon. These are simply KDE versions of Poker and Backgammon. If you know how to play the traditional versions of those games, you should have no problem with the Linux versions. We want to explore a few games that might not be so obvious, but that can be quite fun!

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