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Mouse flickering/disappearing

Graphical Environments, Managers, Multimedia & Desktop questions.
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lülu
Posts: 10
Joined: 2014-08-16 16:08

Mouse flickering/disappearing

#1 Post by lülu »

I installed debian 7 with lightdm and MATE 1.8 (from backports) on a new PC.

Since the first day the mose keeps disappearing. For example when I click on something, the mouse disappears and only comes back when I move it. Sometimes it already disappears when hovering over a button (especially annoying when it happens while you try to resize a window).

That problem did not happen for example in LXDE, which I installed just to test that.

I did install MATE 1.8 on several laptops/PCs so far, never hat that problem. Maybe it's because of quite recent hardware?

Code: Select all

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Device 041e (rev 06)

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mardybear
Posts: 994
Joined: 2014-01-19 03:30

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#2 Post by mardybear »

I experienced this after installing Linux Mint Mate and Debian Wheezy LXDE on the same computer. It was solved by going to the totally default cursor set. What i did was go into the /usr/share/icons/ subfolders and dug through them all, renaming ALL cursor folders to cursor.original. For example: /usr/share/icons/redglass/cursors.orignal.

When they've all been disabled by changing the cursor name to .original, then reboot and test. If the flicker is gone problem solved you just have to put up with the default cursor, which i love anyway...looks real old school.

Although a flickering or briefly disappearing cursor seems minor it makes it very difficult to enjoy using your system. If i would have figured this out during my Mint install instead of Debian i might not be using Debian now...so i'm very grateful for the 'mystery of the flickering cursor'.

Not on a Debian computer at the moment so forgive me if i have the pathway above incorrect. Any better?
800mhz, 512mb ram, dCore-jessie (Tiny Core with Debian Jessie packages) with BusyBox and Fluxbox.
Most don't have computer access, reuse or pay forward an old computer.

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mardybear
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Joined: 2014-01-19 03:30

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#3 Post by mardybear »

Sorry just wanted to add that this was the best solution i discovered at the time, based on a lot of unhelpful google and forum searching. Tried everything i could think of aside from swapping hardware. Maybe there's a better fix now. Regardless, it's a workaround that might help you out.

Please also note that simply going into the mouse cursor settings of the Mate and LXDE desktops and selecting the default/most basic cursor set, adwaita me thinks it was called, didn't help. It was only after the cursor folders were renamed/disabled did the problem disappear upon a reboot.
800mhz, 512mb ram, dCore-jessie (Tiny Core with Debian Jessie packages) with BusyBox and Fluxbox.
Most don't have computer access, reuse or pay forward an old computer.

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#4 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

Try running:

Code: Select all

# update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme
Make sure the theme selected here is the same as that selected elsewhere...
Make sure you reboot afterwards ;)
deadbang

lülu
Posts: 10
Joined: 2014-08-16 16:08

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#5 Post by lülu »

Thanks a lot mardybear, that trick has been working. It's really better with a working mouse, after I thought I got used to that problem ...

Going to try Head_on_a_Stick's solution now ...

lülu
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Joined: 2014-08-16 16:08

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#6 Post by lülu »

x-cursor-theme is
/usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursor.theme
When I choose the DMZ-White cursor in the system settings and reboot, it still does not work. Was that what you meant?

Anyway, with mardybear's trick this is working as expected ...

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#7 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

^ Yes it was, sorry worth a try... :/
deadbang

lülu
Posts: 10
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#8 Post by lülu »

Well, thanks anyway. I'm happy it is all working as expected now!

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mardybear
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#9 Post by mardybear »

Thanks a lot mardybear, that trick has been working. It's really better with a working mouse, after I thought I got used to that problem ...
You are very welcome. I'm a computer minimalist and appreciate the stock linux cursor, which essentially has no theme/style - saves CPU cycles. To identify whether there is a specific cursor theme being pulled in to create the flickering problem then simply rename the cursor theme folders back to default (remove .original) one or two at a time, then reboot and test. If you can identify a specific culprit then keep it disabled and you might have access to the other themes.
800mhz, 512mb ram, dCore-jessie (Tiny Core with Debian Jessie packages) with BusyBox and Fluxbox.
Most don't have computer access, reuse or pay forward an old computer.

filmninja
Posts: 1
Joined: 2015-01-03 19:50

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#10 Post by filmninja »

mardybear wrote:I experienced this after installing Linux Mint Mate and Debian Wheezy LXDE on the same computer. It was solved by going to the totally default cursor set. What i did was go into the /usr/share/icons/ subfolders and dug through them all, renaming ALL cursor folders to cursor.original. For example: /usr/share/icons/redglass/cursors.orignal.

When they've all been disabled by changing the cursor name to .original, then reboot and test. If the flicker is gone problem solved you just have to put up with the default cursor, which i love anyway...looks real old school.

Although a flickering or briefly disappearing cursor seems minor it makes it very difficult to enjoy using your system. If i would have figured this out during my Mint install instead of Debian i might not be using Debian now...so i'm very grateful for the 'mystery of the flickering cursor'.

Not on a Debian computer at the moment so forgive me if i have the pathway above incorrect. Any better?
Thanks for the tip, it works perfectly! While I don't quite like the old mouse as much as the one Debian came with, it's okay since it doesn't flicker anymore.

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cli-deb
Posts: 26
Joined: 2015-04-01 19:34

Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#11 Post by cli-deb »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Try running:

Code: Select all

# update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme
Make sure the theme selected here is the same as that selected elsewhere...
Make sure you reboot afterwards ;)

# update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme or # update-alternatives --config x-cursor-(theme you are using) worked for me, i actually typed both in not sure which cured it but i rebooted and no flickering or disappearing

thank you so much for this im now a happy chappy :)
C.L.I (COMMAND-LINE-INTELLIGENCE)

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#12 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

Excellent!

I'm glad it helped somebody :)
deadbang

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cli-deb
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Re: Mouse flickering/disappearing

#13 Post by cli-deb »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Excellent!

I'm glad it helped somebody :)
problem its back again :(
C.L.I (COMMAND-LINE-INTELLIGENCE)

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