Could not grab your mouse

[The Doctor]

When I click on the package manager I get this dialogue box:
Could not grab your mouse
A Malicious client may be eavesdropping on your session or you may have just clicked a menu or some application just decided to get focus.
Try again.

When I try again, the same dialogue box comes up and I can not get the package manager to open.

Any Ideas?

[OnlyMe]

I had that happen the other day. Now my laptop screen just flickers for a second and no package manager.

Dell Inspiron 1525 Celeron

[The Doctor]

Sounds like a distro problem. I just got finished re-inatlling and adding my software favorites.

[hallandnash]

I've had this problem and know the fix ...

The problem is when you click on the Package Manager the menu stays open. This causes the error because there is a security function to disallow keyloggers to trap your password.

There are 2 ways to fix this:

1. After clicking on the package manager, click your desktop, this closes the menu.
or
2. Make sure all Items are showing in the menu (Place,Applications,System). There should be no "tab" bar on the left and a blank dot at the top. When you click on any item in the menu now it should close the menu.

[OnlyMe]

Thank you, hallandnash, #1 did it for me.

[OnlyMe]

Thank you, hallandnash, #1 did it for me.

Thank you, hallandnash! #1 did it for me, too.

[Jjude]

#1 did it for me too, thanks for that!

[thackermon2]

#1, and #2 worked. Simply clearing the square in the upper left corner solves the issue -- no need to click the desktop.

Thanks!

[dean2k]

Thanks a million!! That's a weird bug. Anyone know if the stable Gloria will resolve that?

[rdonnelly]

Thanks, I did step 2 and it worked for me also I have Gloria, and the bug also.

[Calib]

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

[chrome46]

Thanks a million - #2 if any one's counting.

[jomel]

Am new to Linux Mint and have the same problem which occurs every session. Thanks to this forum I am able to fix it but it is a bit annoying.
Any news of a fix?

[absheva]

I have been using Ubuntu since Gutsy. Before that it was OpenSUSE. I just loaded Mint in a virtual box. I have Ubuntu up and running in another virtual box. I am working hard to fight the "it doesn't work that way in Ubuntu" Both solution 1 and 2 work for me. Thanks, It is reassuring that answers are only a search away.

[Starkoman]

Thank you hallandnash - it does work.

But WHY SHOULD IT? The OP was in July 2008! It may be understandable that such a stupid bug could get through back then but it's now October 2009 and nothing's been done, obviously. If Linux is ever to attract switchers from Windoze and other newbies, this sort of thing can be very offputting.

Developers - please! In the name of all that is holy - give newbies a piss-simple GUI that does it all for you in a simple, bug-free way. Surely, that's not too much to expect and ask?

After all, that's what we switched to Linux Mint for in the first place!

[teabicky]

I've had this problem and know the fix ...

The problem is when you click on the Package Manager the menu stays open. This causes the error because there is a security function to disallow keyloggers to trap your password.

There are 2 ways to fix this:

1. After clicking on the package manager, click your desktop, this closes the menu.
or
2. Make sure all Items are showing in the menu (Place,Applications,System). There should be no "tab" bar on the left and a blank dot at the top. When you click on any item in the menu now it should close the menu.

Thank you, such a simple fix for a strange bug. We are into October 2009 and it has yet to be fixed

[scythekain]

I was having this problem as well and it was irritating me to no end. I finally found a cure to the malady though:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/406784

The screenshot below shows the menu "activated", the little blue square next to the word "System" is the problem. Click it and the "problem" goes away.
I still think this is a bug, as when you launch Synaptic it should override the "tack" option that this square obviously represents.

[Vidar]

I have just installed Mint a week ago and this is the first annoying bug that I came a cross. No biggie since forum search gave the answer. Hopefully this will be fixed in the next release...

[rickyjuniar]

I've had this problem and know the fix ...

The problem is when you click on the Package Manager the menu stays open. This causes the error because there is a security function to disallow keyloggers to trap your password.

There are 2 ways to fix this:

1. After clicking on the package manager, click your desktop, this closes the menu.
or
2. Make sure all Items are showing in the menu (Place,Applications,System). There should be no "tab" bar on the left and a blank dot at the top. When you click on any item in the menu now it should close the menu.

thank you..

[Neuromancer]

Great, I thought I fscked something up.............thats on Gloria too.........

Actually in light of real bugs? When I go to Control Panel and hit synaptic no problems..........but will definitely close Menu after clicking.........the message seemed to want me to stay on the menu over synaptic.....then again, I could be very, very wrong? But on any debian based system? Synaptic is not to be trusted..........its faster(actually its not, but) , its visual, its easier..........but real men use apt or aptitude or a preferred distro tool...........haven't worked too much with the other package tool on mint.....but I would blame this on the ever shady synaptic, rather than the distro..........just my opinion..........glad I have a reason so I don't start hacking away and uninstalling something that isn't broken so much is conflicted between two processes and sudo and root perms............thanks for the question and the heads up.

cheers