Stuck with KDE Cursor after installing kubuntu-desktop or ubuntu-desktop (on a kubuntu system)

[komputes]

Steps to reproduce:
1) Installed Kubuntu 9.04 32-bit and then fully updated to today 2009/08/18.
2) Installed ubuntu-desktop (to get GNOME)
3) reboot and select gnome for new session

What happens: I get the KDE cursor in GNOME. I try to change the cursor in gnome-appearance-properties but there is no immediate change. I must log out and back in to see the change, whereas if I just install ubuntu, I will see cursor changes immediately.

What is expected: Do not display KDE Oxygen_White cursor pointer when going into a gnome session for the first time. Have changes to the cursor be reflected immediately.

[komputes (komputes)]

Tested in Karmic. Initially the cursor does switch, but there are still times when it uses KDE cursor images. When resizing a vlc window, the cursor icon switches between the KDE and GNOME "resize cursor" image.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

the api used is the standard xorg one, that's not a gnome-desktop issue especially that is source has the about gnome dialog and library nothing to do with cursors

[komputes (komputes)]

@Sebastien Bacher

Thank you for changing the assigned package from gnome-desktop (Ubuntu) to xorg-server (Ubuntu). I would like some clarification of why you believe this to completely be an xorg issue.

How does the API differ from previous releases where this was not a symptom of having GNOME/KDE on the same system?

Just for clarification, the fact that I get the KDE cursor is not the unexpected behavior which cause by GNOME.

I get the KDE cursor in GNOME, that is fine, we can say that is an xorg issue (would still appreciate a more detailed explanation). The unexpected behavior that affects GNOME is that changing the cursor in gnome-appearance-properties shows no immediate change.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hi komputes,

Thanks for including an image to demonstrate the issue. Could you also please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn` and `dmesg`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log or Xorg.0.log.old file from after reproducing this issue. If you've using a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf please attach that as well.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[komputes (komputes)]

Hi Bryce,

I may be wrong here, but I believe that your automated message is asking for files that have nothing to do with the issue.

I fail to see how the lspci or dmesg output will help as it is not hardware specific. As well, Xorg.0.log and xorg.conf do not have anything interesting/different in them.

What you want to do to reproduce this is install ubuntu karmic, then install the kubuntu-desktop package and try a session in KDE and a session in GNOME. You will see that the cursors are not displayed as expected:
- KDE cursor at GDM
- KDE cursor becomes default in GNOME
- Changing cursor pointer does not switch immediately in GNOME
- KDE cursor shows up quickly when resizing a window in VLC under GNOME

After reading the bug, please let me know if you still need the requested files.

[komputes (komputes)]

I have also noticed that in KDE, after switching my mouse pointer style to the black "kde classic" look, the mouse pointer style switches to "Oxygen" when in firefox. I believe this may be related to this bug as well.

[Dave Vree (hdave)]

I would like to add that in the production version of Karmic, I installed Gnome first, then I manually installed the kde desktop and now when I log into gnome I get the KDE mouse icons.

[Netich (davidgasku)]

Yep, im suffering this also.
I wouldnt mind having kubuntu cursor for everything (gdm/gnome/kde) but the cursors are mixed or something.
Its oxygen, but at resizing windows it gets to another set, and in firefox it become different... pretty annoying.

[Miguel Branco (arlanthir)]

I had the same problem too, when installing kubuntu-desktop on top of Ubuntu.
It seems to be fixed by running:

sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme

and selecting "/usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursor.theme" (it was 7 in my machine)

[John Haitas (jhaitas)]

Miguel Branco's workaround worked for me ... required a restart of the x server

[komputes (komputes)]

Tested in Lucid. Issue is still present. After installing kubuntu-desktop, GNOME uses KDE pointers when moving a gnome-panel item (4 pointed star cursor shows up). I believe that the issue is that KDE forces a replacement of the default cursor with its own. By going into appearance properties and changing the cursor from Default to DMZ (Black) this should correct the problem. How come Kubuntu becomes the default x-cursor-theme?

Shouldn't X be left alone and each desktop environments own appearance manager manages cursor in its own interface. Looking further, shouldn't each user have the ability to use their own cursor theme as they wish without X defaults getting in the way?

[varun (varun-magical)]

This issue was fixed in lucid.
I installed lucid & kubuntu-desktop afterwards. I was happy that it was fixed.
Today, I ran update manager & issue is back now!!

[komputes (komputes)]

The issue was not fixed in lucid from my experience. It seems to kick in whenever running Qt based application interfaces (such as the ones used by skype and sun virtualbox). Here are videos demonstrating the bug.

[komputes (komputes)]

I would like to suggest a potential fix to this issue. Here is what happens when you run update-alternatives:

==
$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme
There are 7 choices for the alternative x-cursor-theme (providing /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme).

  Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 auto mode
  1 /etc/X11/cursors/core.theme 30 manual mode
  2 /etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme 20 manual mode
  3 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 manual mode
  4 /etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme 20 manual mode
  5 /etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme 20 manual mode
  6 /usr/share/icons/DMZ-Black/cursor.theme 30 manual mode
  7 /usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursor.theme 50 manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number:

==

As we can observe above oxy-white (the KDE cursor theme) is set to automatic mode and status of 50. Would it not resolve the bug to change this value or switch it to manual mode by default? Another idea is to have debconf ask the user for which cursor they would like although I like this idea less because it will not allow a seamless installation of kubuntu-desktop.

[vincenzo (mrguizzo)]

To me it happened the reverse.
1) I installed Ubuntu.
2) I installed KDE
3) After this. Both in ubuntu desktop and in kde desktop I could NOT use the mouse properly (the pointer only would appear in the corners and in some windows). It was so severe that I had to re-install Ubuntu from scratch.

Moreover, I tried to install Kubuntu separately:
1) As soon as it appears the first installation window, the mouse pointer and the keyboard don't work and I have to reboot.

I have a DELL LATITUDE E5440