Change mouse pointer on Ubuntu

Fionn · 11-27-2022, 07:38 AM

I'm running the most recent version of Calibre on the most recent version of Ubuntu.

All is good, except, when my mouse pointer moves over the Calibre window, it changes to a different pointer.

The mouse pointer I'm using on Ubuntu is the standard Gnome cursor. The one on Calibre is larger and more stylized, and looks like the KDE cursor. The disparity is visually jarring.

I've looked through the settings menus, but I can't find a way to change the cursor in Calibre to match the global cursor.

Is there a way? Why is this happening?

kovidgoyal · 11-27-2022, 09:14 AM

calibre does not set the mouse cursor. It will be coming from your system. Linux desktop environments are a total and utter mess. It could be the difference between GTK and Qt or wayland and X11 or a dozen other things.

Pajamaman · 11-27-2022, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Linux desktop environments are a total and utter mess.

Don't hold back

kovidgoyal · 11-27-2022, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Don't hold back

I got burned out on Linux desktop environments a long time ago. Switched to a simple window manager and washed my hands of the entire crapshoot. Nowadays, they annoy me when they cause problems with software I maintain. Wayland is the latest pointless annoyance. The sheer number of Wayland related bugs in calibre and kitty I have to deal with is not funny. For a platform with such a small marketshare Linux really punches above its weight when it comes to causing support headaches.

Fionn · 11-27-2022, 12:11 PM

Thanks Kovid, sorry to hear about the Linux woes. I don't write software, but I share your misgivings about Linux design. It has caused me a heap of bother over the years.

This helps me rule out Calibre. I'll investigate the issue further.

Fionn · 11-27-2022, 12:17 PM

Your advice helped me hone my google searches (I had been assuming it was a Calibre thing), and I actually managed to sort it out in five minutes.

In case anyone else has the same problem, the solution is here: https://blog.wxm.be/2010/04/29/qt-ap...in-ubuntu.html

Quoth · 11-27-2022, 12:27 PM

Yes, I use Mint, Mate Desktop and a Win 2003 sort of theme I customised. Ubuntu / Gnome defaults lost the plot years ago. But IMO so did Vista, Win8 and Win10/11 in very different ways.

I used Ubuntu and XP in parallel for many years.

Mozilla have totally lost the plot enforcing their own broken concept of a GUI style on Firefox and Thunderbird.

Thankfully Calibre change to newer QT wasn't "broken" here. Worst thing though to QT was Nokia buying Trolltech. A lot of good people left then.

11-27-2022, 07:38 AM	#1
Fionn Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Asus Eee	Change mouse pointer on Ubuntu I'm running the most recent version of Calibre on the most recent version of Ubuntu. All is good, except, when my mouse pointer moves over the Calibre window, it changes to a different pointer. The mouse pointer I'm using on Ubuntu is the standard Gnome cursor. The one on Calibre is larger and more stylized, and looks like the KDE cursor. The disparity is visually jarring. I've looked through the settings menus, but I can't find a way to change the cursor in Calibre to match the global cursor. Is there a way? Why is this happening?

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11-27-2022, 09:14 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,347 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre does not set the mouse cursor. It will be coming from your system. Linux desktop environments are a total and utter mess. It could be the difference between GTK and Qt or wayland and X11 or a dozen other things.

11-27-2022, 12:11 PM	#5
Fionn Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Asus Eee	Thanks Kovid, sorry to hear about the Linux woes. I don't write software, but I share your misgivings about Linux design. It has caused me a heap of bother over the years. This helps me rule out Calibre. I'll investigate the issue further.

11-27-2022, 12:17 PM	#6
Fionn Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Asus Eee	Your advice helped me hone my google searches (I had been assuming it was a Calibre thing), and I actually managed to sort it out in five minutes. In case anyone else has the same problem, the solution is here: https://blog.wxm.be/2010/04/29/qt-ap...in-ubuntu.html

11-27-2022, 12:27 PM	#7
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,030 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Yes, I use Mint, Mate Desktop and a Win 2003 sort of theme I customised. Ubuntu / Gnome defaults lost the plot years ago. But IMO so did Vista, Win8 and Win10/11 in very different ways. I used Ubuntu and XP in parallel for many years. Mozilla have totally lost the plot enforcing their own broken concept of a GUI style on Firefox and Thunderbird. Thankfully Calibre change to newer QT wasn't "broken" here. Worst thing though to QT was Nokia buying Trolltech. A lot of good people left then.