Linux Lite Forums

Hardware - Support => Other => Topic started by: TimPlaz on July 20, 2014, 07:14:29 AM

Title: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: TimPlaz on July 20, 2014, 07:14:29 AM
Each time I boot up my newly installed Linux-Lite 2.0 box, the mouse pointer is nothing more then a mini snowy tv screen. I have a heck of a time trying to figure out where to place it and click to do what I want to do in Linux. The only alternative I found was to change the mouse theme. That works while the session is open. Once I shut down or log-off and then turn it back on, its back to the snowy TV icon. Is there a fix or permanent way around this problem?
Title: Re: Microsoft (ANY) wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer---> BUMP!
Post by: girl_downunder on October 29, 2014, 01:56:49 AM
Hi all,

I'm having this same issue right now. Except I've tried multiple mice/brands & it makes no difference.

I'd been running an older version of Lite (1.0.4) & decided to wipe & reinstall...now I'm kind of wishing I hadn't!

Can anyone here with advanced knowledge of LL give a clue why this is happening in 2.0?

Did not occur in previous version, and yes, that blurry box in the uploaded pdf is the mouse--> a big, pixelated, snowy-TV?

Really don't want to have to stay with an old version just to simply use my mouse??   :(

[attachment deleted by admin, more than 25 days old]
Title: Re: Microsoft (ANY) wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: bitsnpcs on October 29, 2014, 02:10:56 AM
Hi all,
Except I've tried multiple mice/brands & it makes no difference.

Hello,
I use Logitech mouse in LL 2.0 and have not had any such issues, it worked after install in the correct manner. Mouse themes also work in their correct manner.
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: Scott on October 29, 2014, 09:19:21 AM
@TimPlax, girl_downunder

Hello Tim/Girl,

I don't have an answer right off but before troubleshooting can both of you confirm you've run and installed system updates please?

The "Install Updates" utility is located here
Menu > All > Install Updates

If navigation to "install updates" is difficult it can be done simply with the keyboard.

1. Open a terminal window with the key combination
2. Ctrl + Alt + t
3. The terminal window opens
4. At the terminal prompt type the command
Code: [Select]
/usr/scripts/updates
Title: Re: Microsoft (ANY) wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 29, 2014, 09:45:33 AM
Hi all,
Except I've tried multiple mice/brands & it makes no difference.

Hello,
I use Logitech mouse in LL 2.0 and have not had any such issues, it worked after install in the correct manner. Mouse themes also work in their correct manner.

Okay....but that's not really what I was looking for- but I'm happy for you!  ;)

It ought not take a very specific "brand/model" of something like a mouse to run the new OS. Any mouse I use on 1.0.4 works (I still have the CD). I have tried 6 diff. ones, from generic to branded, in 2.0 & all do the snowy-tv dance!

So with hopes that there are mods here who know what to look for, I'm attaching the system profile.

Please keep in mind I'm running this live, ATM, until I get the mouse going. Then, I'll install to the HDD. I do PC repair & accumulate a lot of spare parts. Every so often, I put them together as a 'net/music/photos-litebox, etc...& do a free give-away on our local site to pensioners/low-income.

This is only an Athlon & 1GB RAM, but easily does the basics-- which is what most in my market are after anyway.

So yeah, this is for a good cause. I'd like to pass it along functioning properly.

Cheers!

Scott: not sure you're referring to a live, not-yet-installed issue, or an installed issue...sorry.  Please make it uber-stupidly-easy...because, "we are!!!!"....sniff...  :)

PSS: I managed to work within safe mode as normal-- so there is a definite mouse bug for the team to research!



[attachment deleted by admin, more than 25 days old]
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 29, 2014, 10:06:22 AM
@TimPlax, girl_downunder

Hello Tim/Girl,

I don't have an answer right off but before troubleshooting can both of you confirm you've run and installed system updates please?

The "Install Updates" utility is located here
Menu > All > Install Updates

If navigation to "install updates" is difficult it can be done simply with the keyboard.

1. Open a terminal window with the key combination
2. Ctrl + Alt + t
3. The terminal window opens
4. At the terminal prompt type the command
Code: [Select]
/usr/scripts/updates

Not clear-- is this something you can do in a live session? Otherwise, how would you know/be able to test this?

Please clarify?
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: rokytnji on October 29, 2014, 11:59:13 AM
Just my 2 cents. I have a Hewlitt Packard Desktop coming in the mail from a biker bro.
Getting a ball mouse ready for it. I pulled the ball out of the Dell Wheel Mouse.
Sprayed a little WD-40 on the roller pins and roller wheel.
Stuck a rag in to wipe it out.

You'd be surprised at the crap I pulled out attached to that rag.
Reassembled the mouse. Tested it on my IBM M41 Desktop in MacPup 525 and MX-14 Linux.

Works like new again. Before. I thought I was going to throw it out.

I always 1st check hardware before blaming software. Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: Scott on October 29, 2014, 02:24:38 PM
@girl_downunder

Quote
I'd been running an older version of Lite (1.0.4) & decided to wipe & reinstall..
Orginally, I was answering the question based on the assumption you did reinstall.

Quote
Is this something you can do in a live session?
No, this is not something you can do in a live session.

Quote
I'd been running an older version of Lite (1.0.4)
Did you have this mouse problem when running 1.0.4?
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 29, 2014, 10:53:19 PM
As previously stated- no, there was no issue in 1.0.4., neither installed nor using it as a live CD.

Using 2.0, I experience this with every mouse---> unless the live session is run in safe mode, which then shows a typical black arrow.

Obviously, I wasn't too keen to actually install 2.0 with this odd mouse issue. I mean, that is the point of live distros--> to test they work well on/with your hardware in the first place.

So, given that, any ideas? What changed in regards to USB/mouse handling from before?

Cheers
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: Scott on October 30, 2014, 12:59:30 AM
Quote
So, given that, any ideas? What changed in regards to USB/mouse handling from before?

Without getting into the boring/geeky details my suggestion is to stay with LL 1.0.4 or give Linux Lite 1.0.6 a try.

Why LL 106? Because it uses the same kernel version (version 3.2) as LL 104 and will *probably* have a much better chance of being hardware compatible and not causing an issue with the mouse.

Why not LL 2.0? I don't have a specific answer other than LL 2 uses kernel version 3.13 and newer kernels tend to drop support for previous hardware while adding support for newer hardware.

Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 30, 2014, 03:26:41 AM
Except that it displays the pointer correctly in safe mode.

That points to something in the driver-side of things...not so much hardware support.

Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: gold_finger on October 30, 2014, 08:10:49 AM
Except that it displays the pointer correctly in safe mode.

That points to something in the driver-side of things...not so much hardware support.

Correct!

It's not the mouse -- it's most likely the video driver.  Depending on your video card, the problem may disappear once the proper video driver is installed.  Go to Menu -> Settings -> Install Drivers and see if it finds any drivers to install for video card.  You won't be able to install them to the live environment, but if it finds any you can be pretty sure problem will be solved on a real installed system with those drivers installed to it.

If you want to do a real test run, just install LL 2.0 to a USB stick (8GB or larger).  (A real installation, not a "live" USB.)

It's possible that no proprietary drivers will show up as available for use if the computer is using an older video card that is no longer supported by the vendors for newer Linux versions.  If that turns out to be the case, you might be better off using LL 1.0.6 -- based on Ubuntu 12.04, so will get updates through April, 2017.  The older LL will have the older video drivers.

As Scott(0) pointed out, it's also possible that older kernel has support for older hardware that has been dropped in newer kernels of newer LL releases.  Think that would apply more to the older generic video drivers than it would to the mouse itself though.  Highly unlikely that a mouse driver is the problem.

If you need further help, post back with hardware specs that show us what you're dealing with.  The easiest way to do that from your live LL 2.0 is to open a terminal and do:

Code: [Select]
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install inxi
inxi -Fxz

That will install the inxi program and the last command will output a summary of important hardware specs (including your video card).  Copy the output of last command and paste it back here to the forum for us to see.
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 30, 2014, 10:54:32 AM
Thanks GF- I did attach system info a couple posts up- is that enough?

Otherwise, back asap. Whole household (including me) down with horrendous cold/flu).

Lemme know. If there's a cure- will install to HDD just to test.

Cheers & ta.
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: Scott on October 30, 2014, 11:00:30 AM
@Gold_finger
Great post, great info!
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: gold_finger on October 30, 2014, 12:35:51 PM
Thanks GF- I did attach system info a couple posts up- is that enough?

Sorry -- didn't see that attachment before.  Looks like you've got a pretty old machine (2001 from BIOS date) with old graphics card on it.  Very possible that something that supported that hardware was dropped in newer version of Xorg or kernel.  Highly doubtful that there is a proprietary driver available and my guess is that the older LL 1.0.6 likely still has what you need as far as the generic driver and/or older version of Xorg needed to run on that video card.

If computer is able to boot from USB stick (maybe not for age of that computer), then do a test install to a USB stick if you don't want to install to hard drive.  Then boot from it and see if there is any difference.  Honestly, I doubt that there will be.  Think your best bet would be to install older version that's based on Ubuntu 12.04.

Good luck.  Hope you feel better soon.

P.s.  Just had a look at LL download page to see if 1.0.6 is still available for download.  Looks like you need to click list of "ISO Mirrors", click on one closest to you, pick LL 1.0.6 directory, then pick 32-bit version for your machine.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/download.html#isomirrors (https://www.linuxliteos.com/download.html#isomirrors)
Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on October 31, 2014, 06:27:33 AM
You're legend!  Thanks GF.    :)

As I said, I do PC work & I'm a real recycler. On principle, I rail against perfectly useful machines going into our landfills until they reach the sky- it's sickening to me.

My pensioners only ever use email, web, a tiny bit of photo viewing & word processing. Linux Lite is perfect for that.

Again- thank you. I'll look for the 1.0.6 & get it, asap.

Cheers

Title: Re: Microsoft wheel mouse (optical) has no pointer
Post by: girl_downunder on November 01, 2014, 09:56:58 AM
Thanks for that---> still battling the dreaded "came from northern hemisphere" cold, atm...

What is it you believe to have changed from 1.0.4/6 to 1.0.8/2.0?  I'm still thinking about the video card cause being the trouble. It's just odd that it would show as a mouse pointer issue. I'm curious how something like a mouse could go so wrong & be connected to video?  Unless it's something to do with the USB in general for certain attached devices...hmm. Maybe I should try some other USB stuff, like cams, etc. Or am I totally off here?

Any chance a BIOS update would make any diff? Prob not, but figured I'd ask.

Lastly, any security issues sticking what the old version?

Ta.