SOLVED: Picking up a mouse on boot

[Oldfiddler]

I have recently acquired a new computer on which I have installed Mint 18.3 Cinnamon. I tried Mint 19 Cinnamon to start with but discovered that there was a known driver problem with my particular Epson scanner, and so I stepped back to 18.3.

The set-up has a wired mouse with a USB connection. Quite often at boot this mouse is not automatically picked up. The mouse pointer shows in the middle of the screen but refuses to move with the mouse. Sometimes I can resolve this by restarting, sometimes not. Recently I have had to shut down and reboot to get the mouse to be activated, which usually works.

Any ideas on what I need to do to get rid of this nuisance? The details of the system are:

Code: Select all

~ $ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: john-desktop Kernel: 4.15.0-43-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: PRIME Z370-A II v: Rev X.0x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: 0411 date: 09/21/2018
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i3-8100 (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 28800
           clock speeds: max: 3600 MHz 1: 800 MHz 2: 800 MHz 3: 800 MHz
           4: 800 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 3e91 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1680x1050@59.95hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics (Coffeelake 3x8 GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 18.0.5 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Device a2f0 driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-43-generic
Network:   Card: Intel Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V
           driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k bus-ID: 00:1f.6
           IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: NA (-) ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: N/A size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 443G used: 44G (11%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 17.04GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 0
Info:      Processes: 199 Uptime: 2:29 Memory: 1081.0/15904.3MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35

[deepakdeshp]

Try instilling the 18.3 kernel that is version 4 13 latest one. From grub choose it in advanced options and test.
Good luck

[Oldfiddler]

Thanks for the suggestion. I installed kernel 4.13.0.45 and selected that on boot. The system opened in software rendering mode and with the mouse frozen. I restarted with the 4.15 kernel and things were normal, including an operational mouse! But then that does happen sometimes........

[Oldfiddler]

Any further thoughts? Today the mouse was frozen on start-up and required two restarts before the mouse became active. Weird?

[cliffcoggin]

Could it be as simple as a bad connection at the plug or the port? Obvious I know, but sometimes the obvious is overlooked.

[Oldfiddler]

But why would it right itself without any physical manipulation of the mouse connection? Even so, I did have it in mind to get a new mouse and try that instead.

[jglen490]

There are lots of places between the mouse and the CPU that can go wrong. I've had intermittent issues with mice before, solved by using a new mouse. Had Logitech USB mouse that acted up from time to time. I plugged in a different one, still USB, same model, worked fine.

[murray]

Yup, first trouble-shooting thing I'd do is try a new mouse. Can you borrow one from somewhere? Try that for a few days and see how it goes. If the problem still exists with a new mouse then you can at least eliminate the mouse as being the problem.

[cliffcoggin]

But why would it right itself without any physical manipulation of the mouse connection? Even so, I did have it in mind to get a new mouse and try that instead.

I mention it as a possibility because I have had precisely that problem with an external SSD used for backups. It would unmount and remount itself at random without being touched. The problem was a poor connection at the extension cable.

[Oldfiddler]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

I have ordered a cheap Logitech mouse (B100), which I should get early next week. I'll post again when I've given that one a good trial.

[Oldfiddler]

I received the new Logitech mouse on Monday. Since then, through various starts and restarts, the mouse has always been identified and activated immediately by the system. Therefore I conclude it was something to do with the old mouse. Well, it was a Microsoft unit, so perhaps it was just registering its disappointment that a nice copy of Windows 10 wasn't trying to wake it up!