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Tom
Asked: 2012-04-28 13:00:03 +0800 CST

How do I change the cursor and its size?

  • 772

I have recently created an Ubuntu 12.04 partition on my Windows 7 laptop. When installing it, I switched to "high contrast" mode, which has rather large cursors (by large I mean about twice as large and thick as they should normally are).

Now I have successfully installed the partition, the large cursors have stuck around even after exiting this high contrast mode, but only when I am hovering over stuff e.g. hovering over text inputs, links, and when resizing windows. All of these cursors are too large. They cursor is only normally sized when the computer should be displaying the normal mouse pointer.

Does anyone know how I might go about fixing this?

settings cursor

6 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I would suggest you update your cursor theme and cursor size.

    First in a terminal type:

    sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme

    enter image description here

    Choose the number of the theme you want - e.g. 0 for DMZ-White

    Changing the value here requires a reboot - a logout and login will not suffice.

    Secondly, using dconf-editor (install using sudo apt-get install dconf-tools)

    enter image description here

    navigate to org.gnome.desktop.interface

    change the cursor size to 24 and cursor theme to DMZ-White

    • 98

  2. For a command-line / automated way of doing it, try:

    dconf write /org/gnome/desktop/interface/cursor-size 48

    Works for me on Ubuntu 16.04.

    In 18.04 LTS there is a new key. The following still works for me in 19.10 (I'll report back if it persists or not...)

    gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48
    • 43

  3. it's very clunky, but do-able.

    1. Download your favorite cursor theme from Gnome Look or other sources, and untar it in the folder you downloaded.
      enter image description here
    2. Next, open a terminal and type sudo nautilus and a Root Nautilus will launch. BE VERY CAREFUL DELETING AND MOVING FILES IN IT enter image description here
    3. Now, go to your downloads folder (from the Root Nautilus you just opened) and copy the folder of the downloaded cursor theme (not the .tar archive)
    4. After doing so, go to /usr/share/icons and paste the folder of the cursors. but don't close it just yet. enter image description here
    5. Within the 'icons' folder you'll see a 'default' folder - open it - and open the 'index.theme' file (in gedit, in-case it doesn't open automatically), and change the theme name to the name of the cursor folder you copied (for example: 'neutral'). save and close the file. enter image description here enter image description here
    6. Almost done. Now install Gnome/Unity Tweak Tool and change the cursor theme within them. enter image description here In the Gnome Tweak Tool it look like this: enter image description here
    7. Log out and log back in and you're set.

    Truly Canonical and the Ubuntu community need to do some work for this in terms of End-User customization, but bottom line is that this works.

    • 8

  4. Check your mouse theme using the dconf-editor:

    1. Install the package dconf-tools Install dconf-tools

    2. Run dconf-editor

    3. Navigate to org.gnome.desktop.interface and check the mouse cursor settings:

    enter image description here

    DMZ-White should be set as the theme. Then log out and back in and see if you still have the problem.

    References:

    • 4

  5. Try change the setting in gconf-editor (Alt F2, gconf-editor). It is either under

    /desktop/gnome/peripherals/mouse/cursor_size

    or

    /apps/compiz/general/allscreens/options/cursor_size
    • 2

  6. enter image description heresudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool

    Then change its cursor Theme. in Apperance

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