Mouse stops responding if the ubuntu screensaver activates while the focus is on an rdesktop windows

[Jimmy P]

if the screensaver activates while the focus is on an rdesktop window, then upon exiting the screensaver the mouse cursor is invisible and moving or clicking around has absolutely no effect. Also the only keys that have some effect are X windows and gnome shortcuts (like ctrl-alt-L, ctrl-alt-F1 etc).
Everything comes back to normal if you once again activate and exit the screensaver (by pressing ctrl-Alt-L for example)
To reproduce:
1) Start a session to a windows pc with rdesktop (you don't even need to login)
2) Open a terminal and run the following command then quickly switch to rdesktop and wait for the screensaver to start
     sleep 5; gnome-screensaver-command --activate

I've confirmed the above in 4 Ubuntu installations on 2 different PCs (2X v6.06 and 2X v5.10)
____________________________
Here is the original description from Jimmy P:

_Sometimes_, when I leave my mouse in an rdesktop window for a while, I'll come
back and the rdesktop window is black (windows screensaver is set to blank) but
the mouse cursor is visible and shows an hourglass. Then as soon as I move the
mouse, the windows screensaver turns off (I can see my windows desktop) but I
can no longer see the mouse cursor. I click a lot and don't see any effect, so
I think that not only is the cursor invisible, but X no longer responds to mouse
events. I can hit alt-f4 to close windows in Windows and hit ctrl-alt-f1 to get
to the console. The only way I can figure out to get my mouse back is
ctrl-alt-backspace.

This also happened with rdesktop 1.4.1 under debian unstable.

I am running a new install (no upgrade) of breezy.

This guy might be talking about the same problem:
http://tinyurl.com/bdh5j

[Jimmy P (jimmypoor2004)]

If, when the cursor disappears, I let the screensaver turn back on and then move the mouse, the cursor is back.

[Ariel Faigon (ariel.faigon)]

Just to confirm. I've seen my mouse cursor disappear too. Not yet able to fully connect it to an event, but it happened to me twice since installing Breezy Badger (5.10). The only way I found to bring it back was to restart X (CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE) and restart the whole windowing session.

Next time it happens, I'll try rerunning the screen-saver instead.
If anyone wants more details, just email me. (ubuntu) (at) (yendor . com)

[takomochi (takomochi)]

In my case, after getting out of screensaver, the mouse cursor turns flat black. I'm running Breezy.

[Diego Cortassa (diego-cortassa)]

I have a similar problem on Dapper with up to date patches

When I leave the cursor on an RDP window and the screen saver on the remote session starts (i.e. the rdp windows becomes black) the cursor becomes unusable, I still can see and move it but any click has no effect inside or outside the rdp window.

The keybord still works, if I lock the linux screen with a gnome shortcut and then unlock it again everything starts working again...

Bye.

[Hörður Már Gestsson (varmenni)]

I also have a similar problem.
I have a laptop running 6.06. If the screensaver starts (either after inactive period or by closing it) and rdesktop has focus, something strange happens. If I stop the screensaver by pushing a button/moving the mouse/opening it it brings me right to the desktop (doesn't display the password prompt as it usually does). At that point I can move the mouse cursor (and it is visible) but typing at the keyboard or pushing the mouse buttons has no affect. The only thing that still work are killing the X server and switching to the virtual consoles (ctrl-alt-f{1,2,3,4,5,6}). If I then press and hold the lid switch it starts the screensaver as usual, and when I release it I get the password prompt. After typing in the password all is back to normal.
One thing I noticed if I triggered the bug by just holding in the lid switch, is that at first nothing seems to happen. Then after a couple of seconds, instead of fading out the screen just turns black. Might be related.
Anywho, this is rather irritating. Hope somone find the time to hunt this down soon.

Regards

[Gabriel Patiño (gepatino)]

This happens since hoary, and I found it's related to X screensaver while rdesktop is running in foreground and not windows screensaver.

When you 'loose' the mouse and keyboard, do the following if you want to avoid restarting X:

Alt+F4 (to close rdesktop window)
Alt+F2 and run gnome-terminal
find and kill gnome-screensaver (in dapper) or xscreensaver in hoary/breezy.

This should give you control over your desktop again.

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

I can confirm Gabriel's comments:
 * This happens at least since breezy for me
 * I also found it's related to X screensaver and *not* to windows screensaver (at least when the gnome screen saver is set to lock the screen)
 * I also found that the bug is trigered when rdesktop is running in foreground (has the focus)
 * if you kill gnome-screensaver you get control of you PC again

for users with less expirience here are the steps to bypass the problem when it occurs:

1) hit Alt+F2 and bring up the Run Application
2) enter the following command and check the "Run in terminal" option
    sudo killall gnome-screensaver
3) a terminal window will popup and ask for your password - enter it

the steps above stop the screensaver, to start it again you must hit Alt-F2 and execute the command:
    gnome-screensaver

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

start a session to a windows pc with rdesktop
open a terminal and run
     sleep 5; gnome-screensaver-command --activate
imidiately switch to rdesktop and wait for the screensaver to start

to restore your keyb/mouse
1) hit Alt+F2 and bring up the Run Application
2) enter the following command and check the "Run in terminal" option
    gnome-screensaver-command --activate
(you may need to enter your password if you have the relating setting turned on)

BTW note the "gnome-screensaver-WARNING **: Couldn't grab keyboard! (AlreadyGrabbed)" warnings at the terminal

----------

Should we report this to the gnome-screensaver team? they might be able to act on it

[Nick Demou (ndemou)]

hit ctrl-alt-l (L) to lock the screen - move your mouse - enter your password - fixed

(the workaround is from the comment of Diego Cortassa I just placed it here to be easily visible and obvious for those that don't know that ctrl-alt-l is the shortcut to lock the screen)

[perriman (chuchiperriman)]

I can confirm this bug. Is horrible!!!! thanks to Nick for the tip :)