weird mouse cursor problem

[twoHats]

Hi All - nearly every day my mouse cursor goes very strange. I am using Kubuntu 8.04.1with kde 3.5.10.

The problem seems to stem from firefox - but i haven't been able to pin down the exact action that causes it. Suddenly i go to use the mouse and the cursor looks like:

1. A very long text caret (maybe 3 times as high as a normal one).
2. some shape overlaying the arrow shape.
3. sometimes other unrecognizable shape.

I tried to ksnapshot it, but the mouse cursor, of course, doesn't show in the snap...

The actual mouse pointer (activator) is at the top of the caret, and somewhere in the middle of the other shapes. This wouldn't be so bad if i could just restart firefox, or even KDE/X but i have to restart my system to get back to normal pointers, I have tried different sets of mouse pointers in config. So far no joy.

Any ideas? Anyone else seen this? I did a search - also no joy.

Thanks

[Zudo]

try updating firefox?
maybe for some reason you have a virus or other type of software issue sprouting from a security leak...a quick FF patch might just fix that right up

[twoHats]

try updating firefox?

Thanks for the response.

This problem has persisted through several Kubuntu installs and several versions of firefox. The cursors look like they might be special purpose (drawing, publishing etc) I am looking at one now that looks like facing square brackets with little boxes where the horizontal lines would be .... sort of like []

It has taken me this long to "ask for directions" but i am at the end of my rope here.

[Zudo]

hmmmm...
do you remember what applications you may have installed before this problem started?
it may just be an application level issue...try to uninstall and reinstall the most recent application prior to the issue, if that does not work, keep working your way down the chain until you really do "reach the end of your rope" but be sure to back up any important files along the way in case you reach a snag somewhere down the road

[twoHats]

not trying to be rude here, but i am trying to solve a problem - I don't get the feeling that you have any experience with this problem. Being new to this forum you may be mistaking the newbie designation for an actual newbie - only has to do with the number of posts made.


Sooooo - you may want to spend your time with problems you might actually help with.

Thanks for the thought though

[Zudo]

hey there man just cause it's not working for you doesn't mean it's not a possible solution...if you weren't trying to be rude you failed to achieve, but hey, i'm not one to hold it against people...so good luck

[Rubberman]

I haven't experienced this problem with Firefox, though it seems to be acting like some other application (perhaps a firefox add-in) is trying to gain control over the pointer. What firefox add-ins do you have installed?

[Zudo]

Hi All - nearly every day my mouse cursor goes very strange. I am using Kubuntu 8.04.1with kde 3.5.10.

The problem seems to stem from firefox - but i haven't been able to pin down the exact action that causes it. Suddenly i go to use the mouse and the cursor looks like:
1. A very long text caret (maybe 3 times as high as a normal one).
2. some shape overlaying the arrow shape.
3. sometimes other unrecognizable shape.
I tried to ksnapshot it, but the mouse cursor, of course, doesn't show in the snap...
The actual mouse pointer (activator) is at the top of the caret, and somewhere in the middle of the other shapes. This wouldn't be so bad if i could just restart firefox, or even KDE/X but i have to restart my system to get back to normal pointers, I have tried different sets of mouse pointers in config. So far no joy.
Any ideas? Anyone else seen this? I did a search - also no joy.
Thanks

try updating firefox?
maybe for some reason you have a virus or other type of software issue sprouting from a security leak...a quick FF patch might just fix that right up

Thanks for the response.
This problem has persisted through several Kubuntu installs and several versions of firefox. The cursors look like they might be special purpose (drawing, publishing etc) I am looking at one now that looks like facing square brackets with little boxes where the horizontal lines would be .... sort of like []
It has taken me this long to "ask for directions" but i am at the end of my rope here.

hmmmm...
do you remember what applications you may have installed before this problem started? it may just be an application level issue...try to uninstall and reinstall the most recent application prior to the issue, if that does not work, keep working your way down the chain until you really do "reach the end of your rope" but be sure to back up any important files along the way in case you reach a snag somewhere down the road

not trying to be rude here, but i am trying to solve a problem - I don't get the feeling that you have any experience with this problem. Being new to this forum you may be mistaking the newbie designation for an actual newbie - only has to do with the number of posts made.
Sooooo - you may want to spend your time with problems you might actually help with.
Thanks for the thought though

hey there man just cause it's not working for you doesn't mean it's not a possible solution...if you weren't trying to be rude you failed to achieve, but hey, i'm not one to hold it against people...so good luck

I haven't experienced this problem with Firefox, though it seems to be acting like some other application (perhaps a firefox add-in) is trying to gain control over the pointer. What firefox add-ins do you have installed?

hehe, sorry but i had to for screenies sake

[twoHats]

I haven't experienced this problem with Firefox, though it seems to be acting like some other application (perhaps a firefox add-in) is trying to gain control over the pointer. What firefox add-ins do you have installed?

Thanks - this was very helpful - maybe solved it. Firefox addins - only had one - removed it - problem seems to be gone. When one is managing several Linux systems - a couple of doze systems, a network, and a Linux file server - things like Firefox plugins kinda disappear into the noise.

Speaking of noise - sorry about the long chatter just before this ...

Thanks again -

[Rubberman]

Just curious, but what was the add-in you installed/removed?