Cursor not displaying in Mageia 5, is invisible

[dedanna1029]

The cursor is "there." kdm is the default login manager (don't ask me how), and when the computer loads to the login manager, the mouse is not seen anywhere. So, I have to use tab and shift+tab to get to where I can type in my username and password, then hit Enter to log in.

When I get to the desktop, the mouse is not seen anywhere, but, if I move it around to the way upper left corner of the screen where the Mageia menu is and hover over it (difficult to get there but it can be done), it does "select" the menu with a rectangle box around the button for it. I can go from there, but it is very tricky when one can't visibly see their mouse cursor.

I tried in XFCE settings to change the mouse theme, and did eventually, but that did nothing.

Any clue what this can be (and no, I can't solve this on my own)? I can't use MCC or much of anything without the mouse. I was lucky to get as far as I did.

Thanks.

[viking60]

Complete mystery to me - maybe Jkerr knows something...

[jkerr82508]

I haven't a clue what causes this. I've never experienced it. There's a bug report:

https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15623

Jim

[viking60]

I have an idea
Xfce4 has had some tearing problems in Manjaro so I made myself a button to switch between xfwm4 and compton. It is the xfwm4 that may have the tearing.

So if you install compton and type:

Code: Select all

compton --opengl

Does the mouse appear?
(compton might be in the Tainted repo.)

To go back to xfwm4 you can do a:

Code: Select all

xfwm4 --replace

Maybe typing that command first will bring your cursor back and wake up the mouse who has maybe had a long cheese lunch

Compiz might fix it too if Mageia has that in the repos - but I doubt it.

[dedanna1029]

Um, well, after all the logging out and rebooting and stuff... I finally got tired and shut down for the night. When I turned on the computer and loaded into Mageia this morning, the cursor was back...

I do think I'm going to leave this open for just a bit, want to be sure this sticks. Sometimes the "fluke" is in the fix, by not sticking.

I also think I'm going to change login managers, and do what viking said above.

Thanks!

[dedanna1029]

I commented on the bug btw.

[viking60]

You could try xdm (the Xfce4 login manager) or even the gdm login manager.

[dedanna1029]

You must be thinking the same thing I was. I ended up switching to lightdm. Here's what happened:

I rebooted (not shut down) back into Mageia. The cursor was invisible again, so I shut down and booted back in; the cursor was back.

I went into Software Management and installed every dm I could find off the dvd (keep in mind I still don't have inet on it due to the wireless thing so hesitate to install anything that may not be on the dvd). I then went into "Setup display manager" and switched to lightdm. Told it to restart the dm service, and the cursor was still there.

It's got to be something with kdm. It's just got to be. Now, to confirm this or not, I will reboot back into Mageia and see if the cursor is still there.

Oh, and it's not compositing. I checked that, and it was turned off.

[dedanna1029]

Yup, the issue is not in compositing, it's not anything else. It's kdm. I've switched to every other dm and tried it, back to kdm, and the issue returns.

The only way to make the cursor visible when one is using kdm is to come up from a complete shut down, then don't reboot - shut down instead.

xdm btw took me straight into KDE4, and I found no way on it to change this, so I'm sticking with lightdm for now.

This is solved for me personally, as I really don't give a rats about kdm or what dm I use, except for the others who have this same issue. So, for them I'm not sure whether to mark this thread as solved or not.

[viking60]

I prefere lxdm over kdm or gdm anyday

[dedanna1029]

I have it in there. The only one I didn't try LOL. Think I will after a while, once I've dealt with an issue in Windows.