[SOLVED] Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

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BrianI

[SOLVED] Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

Currently I'm running Mint 19 Xfce edition on my system.

I quite like the Xfce desktop, it's nice and lightweight, plus the bulk rename tool is very useful.

However I'm finding I'm having a few issues with the mouse pointer. It's somewhat difficult to describe in words, but sometimes when I go to resize a window, by clicking, holding down the left mouse button and dragging on it's edge, the window resizes for a while, but then it's like the mouse pointer selects the window underneath the one I am resizing, and brings it to the top.

Similarly, if I am using software where I do drag select box, e.g. in gimp 2.10, or even in the thunar file browser the drag select box follows the mouse pointer for a while, then suddenly stops before I've actually stopped dragging and selecting what I want.



I have disabled compositing in the window manager tweaks, and I am using Xfwm4 & Compton for my window manager.

I am using a corded (not wireless) Logitech RX1000 USB mouse. I will see if I can get hold of another mouse, to eliminate a hardware fault.

As I said it's kind of difficult to explain in words, but it is becoming quite annoying as it is hampering the functionality of my system.

Any suggestions?

Output from inxi -Fxz below if that is of any help.


Code: Select all

System:    Host: Escher Kernel: 4.15.0-34-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 (Gtk 2.24.31) Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: A88XM-A v: Rev X.0x serial: N/A
           BIOS: American Megatrends v: 1801 date: 08/25/2014
CPU:       Quad core AMD A8-6600K APU with Radeon HD Graphics (-MCP-) 
           arch: Piledriver rev.1 cache: 8192 KB
           
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm) bmips: 31123
           clock speeds: max: 3900 MHz 1: 2988 MHz 2: 3774 MHz 3: 1937 MHz
           4: 1923 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA GP108 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: nvidia (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 2560x1440@59.95hz
           OpenGL: renderer: GeForce GT 1030/PCIe/SSE2
           version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 390.48 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 NVIDIA GP108 High Def. Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
           Card-2 VIA driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 005-002
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-34-generic
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCIE Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: enp4s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 2620.6GB (23.1% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: KINGSTON_SV300S3 size: 120.0GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: ST1000DM003 size: 1000.2GB
           ID-3: /dev/sdc model: ST1000DM003 size: 1000.2GB
           ID-4: USB /dev/sdj model: HDS721050CLA362 size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 103G used: 11G (11%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 917G used: 548G (63%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb1
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 8.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%)
           fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 0.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 0.0:33C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 0
Info:      Processes: 205 Uptime: 9 min Memory: 2460.0/15977.9MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56 
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
MtnDewManiac
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Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by MtnDewManiac »

Is there any possibility that your mouse button might be starting to act up? It almost seems, from your description, that it is being interrupted for a small fraction of a second.

If I remember correctly, there is at least one GUI application that shows which button is being pressed, et cetera. But a terminal script that provides output from constantly monitoring the mouse activity for a time might be much more useful here - since the eye might not be fast enough to catch a very short interruption, but the computer should be.

Regards,
MDM
Mint 18 Xfce 4.12.

If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars make people drive drunk, and spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat.
richyrich

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by richyrich »

Brianl , just for your information.
When you chose xfwm4 + Compton, it automatically disables the Window Manager Tweaks program, as that program is exclusively for xfwm4 compositing.
But Compton is now the Compositing Manager so when you say :
I have disabled compositing ...
That is not really true, as your compositing is now being managed by Compton.

To disable compositing completely you would choose xfwm4 (by itself).

Hope this clarifies things for you. :)
BrianI

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

Thanks for the replies MDM and Richyrich.

I'll try a replacement mouse, as it is a few years old now. I'll also try changing to xfwm4 only.

And if that doesn't work, then I'm not sure what else to try!

--Edit -- I tried changing to xfwm4 only, still the same occasional issue. Going to see if I can track down an wired non gaming without a million buttons usb mouse. Logitech no longer seem to do the RX1000 anymore, as I liked it's tiltable scroll wheel which meant you could pan images in gimp etc up and down as well as left and right using the tilt/scroll wheel.
BrianI

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

I eventually managed to get a cheap usb wired mouse. Somewhat difficult as most things seem to be wireless! No 4 way scroll wheel unfortunately :-( Will see if the same issue crops up again with this mouse.
BrianI

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

Hmm. Interesting.
I still had occasional issues with the new mouse.
I switched the usb hub I had the mouse connected to, and so far so good. Not sure if that is a coincidence as I have also disabled all compositing and am just using xfwm4 as the window manager.
:?:
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mint4all
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Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by mint4all »

BrianI wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:29 am Hmm. Interesting.
I still had occasional issues with the new mouse.
I switched the usb hub I had the mouse connected to, and so far so good. Not sure if that is a coincidence as I have also disabled all compositing and am just using xfwm4 as the window manager.
:?:
Greetings!

Fwiw, there's ONE setting that consistently caused difficulties for me, especially with GTK-themes that have very thin edges/borders and teensy resize grippies (like all the latest Mint themes). So you may want to look at [ Menu > Settings > Window Manager > Focus tab > "Click to focus" should be set ] and make sure that the window manager's focus does NOT follow your mouse. I found that on a busy desktop (typical for my work style) with multiple overlapping windows the inverse setting (focus follows the mouse) can turn into a real ui-headache for older folks like me ;)

Cheers, M4A
BrianI

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

That might be something, mint4all.

I'm running a QHD screen (2560x1440), and I've changed the Window Manager theme from default to default-hdpi. At least that makes with window borders etc larger, so hopefully easier to grab with the mouse :-)

Thanks,

Brian.
BrianI

Re: Xfce - mouse pointer drag / select issues

Post by BrianI »

Changing the window manager theme to default-hidpi seems to have sorted the issue. Going to mark the topic as solved.
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