One of the biggest complaints about Ubuntu is that there doesn’t seem to be a spider solitaire. Of any default Windows-based game, this is the one that users ask the most. I know of users who didn’t actually switch to Ubuntu simply because of this problem. It is the favorite of many people, including mine. There are a couple of options to fix the Spider solitaire issue while running Ubuntu.

The first is realizing that there is a version of spider solitaire, as well as fifty other card-based games that come on Ubuntu systems. The reason most can’t find it is because it appears to be hidden. So it’s actually there if you know where to look for it! Here’s where to go find it:

Go to Applications, then Games and select the AisleRiot Solitaire program. At first this looks like a normal version of Solitaire, but it has the spider version inside it. Click Game and then Select Game to bring up a list of card games. One of these will be the spider version that many have come to love. Problem solved for most of us.

If you want to use the exact version of Windows, you will need the executable. By default this doesn’t run on Ubuntu because it only runs in Windows format, but you can get it to work. There is a free program called WineHQ that will run these types of files while you are using Linux. This can be found in the Synaptic Package Manager. After installation, run the executable in “Wine” to get it working. This solution works pretty well for most people who want the native Windows option, but it does take a bit more work.

A third option is to go to the repositories and download other solitaire games that are free and open source software if you want a different version or look and feel than what comes with Ubuntu. There are thousands of games to choose from, some of which will include elements such as spider solitaire. Of course, this does the most work, but it also gives you the most functionality.

Generally speaking, if there’s a simple app or game you need, there’s an open source alternative to what’s offered on your Windows machine. This is because people who create open source software like to create applications and programs that people enjoy using.