Linux for Microsoft Windows Users: #4-- Getting Started Using the Windows-Like Desktop for Linux

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Sirtet does not seem to have been included in Red Hat's KDE package. However, both the Red Hat and Caldera distributions include a Tetris-like game called Smiltetris. If you would like to try it, simply click on K > Games > Smiletris on your K desktop K Menu.

Chess

The Chess game that comes with KDE is called XBoard. Caldera included XBoard with its OpenLinux eDesktop 2.4 Linux distribution KDE package. To play this Chess game, simply click on K > Games > XBoard on your OpenLinux K Menu. (Please see Figure 6.)

XBoard is not included in the Red Hat Linux 7 KDE package. However, the Red Hat people did include essentially the same Chess game under the name Chess. To play this Chess game, simply click on K > Red Hat > Games > Chess on your Red Hat 7, K Menu. If you are using Red Hat's GNOME desktop, simply click on Footprint > Games > Chess.

If you are using Red Hat Linux 7 please notice that you do not have as many of the KDE games as have the OpenLinux eDesktop 2.4 users. However, you have the KDE games plus the games Red Hat included with the GNOME desktop too.

Sokoban

Sokoban is a very simple and easy, yet addictive, real-time, multi-level strategy game included in the KDE games package. In Sokoban a warehouseman that you control pushes huge rubies scattered around a warehouse to their proper storage locations. The trick here is to push the gemstones in the right sequence.

To play Sokoban, simply click on K > Games > Sokoban on your K desktop. Please see Figure 7.

Working on Your Own

After working your way through today's tutorial, you should have a good feel for opening the pre-installed games that come with the K desktop. Try playing the games discussed above. And try playing the other games in the KDE games sub-menu.

If you do not know how to play any of these games, simply click on the Help menu on the game's Menu bar

There is a very brief, 22 page, treatment of the KDE 1.x games in chapter 18, Practical KDE by Dennis Powell from QUE Books ($30. ISBN: 0-7897-2216-X). This is a good book for help with learning to use the K Desktop. However, KDE now is up to the version 2 level and this is a KDE 1.x book rather than a KDE 2.x book. If you happen to have Practical KDE on your bookshelf, give chapter 18 a once-over for additional information about the KDE 1.x games.

Conclusion

Starting and playing pre-installed games on Linux-based computers can be very much like playing pre-installed games on MS Windows PCs -- especially if you have set up your Linux desktop to look and feel similar to the MS Windows desktop. Moreover, it's just as easy.

There are more pre-installed games on both the Caldera OpenLinux eDesktop 2.4 and Red Hat Linux 7 distributions than there are pre-installed games in MS Windows. Of course there are lots of additional games available for the MS Windows platform. However, there are lots of additional games available for the Linux platform too.

For now have some fun playing the games discussed here today and trying some of the other games listed in the K Menu games sub-menu. That will help you to get more familiar with your Linux desktop -- and hopefully more comfortable using Linux.

Once you are comfortable using your Linux desktop to start and run programs, let's start doing more useful tasks such as word processing, organizing calendars and schedules, and all that sort of boring school and office stuff. Look for that in Linux for Microsoft Windows Users: #5 coming soon to a computer near you.