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Thread: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

  1. #11
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by ohnonot View Post
    - so this would be the WRONG version which is surprisingly wide spread on the internet. or maybe it works on some systems?!

    next: how do i remove items from the list i get with
    Code:
    sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme
    ???
    Sorry for the confusion, but my post was simply in reply to the question on how to add an item to the alternatives list. To remove the item from the list, try this:
    Code:
    sudo update-alternatives --remove  x-cursor-theme  /usr/share/icons/<Cursor>

  2. #12
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by zombifier25 View Post
    I have tried various method to change the cursor theme and make it consistent; none works except for this: remove the "default" folder in /usr/share/icons, and make "default" a symlink to the folder of the cursor theme, log out and log in. Done. Simple. Fast. No tampering with /etc/alternatives/x-cursor-theme needed.
    (it's 2012 and a dirty hack is still required to make the cursors on Firefox and the desktop and the window borders look similar. What The Chuck?)
    Forgot the extra step of choosing the desired theme in Ubuntu Tweak (or MyUnity, etc.) Now that should work.
    BTW, I don't have a .Xdefault in my home.

  3. #13
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by ohnonot View Post
    - so this would be the WRONG version which is surprisingly wide spread on the internet. or maybe it works on some systems?!
    [/CODE]???
    The install command from Toz works fine provided you change the first link to the one that is outside /etc/alternatives and points to x-cursor-theme.

    What should it be? If you check /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme (properties, or use ls -l) you will see it is a link to x-cursor-theme. This is the link we want to use.

    The correct command would be:

    Code:
    sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme x-cursor-theme /usr/share/icons/NewCursor/cursor.theme 20
    where NewCursor is the name on the folder of the one you want to install. As mentioned in post #4, you may need to create a cursor.theme file for it.


    The priority number is not really important, since by setting this manually, this new cursor is used regardless of priority.

    I know this works. I have installed two extra cursors I downloaded from gnome-look.org, and they show up after the sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme command is given.

    Don't forget: For Unity, you also need to change the gnome cursor (if that's the proper term) to the same theme by using the 'advanced settings' tool.
    Last edited by Dennis N; May 20th, 2012 at 09:11 PM.

  4. #14
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis N View Post
    The correct command would be:
    Code:
    sudo update-alternatives --install  /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme x-cursor-theme  /usr/share/icons/NewCursor/cursor.theme 20
    where NewCursor is the name on the folder of the one you want to install. As mentioned in post #4, you may need to create a cursor.theme file for it.
    - this is exactly what i did.
    in my last post, the sentence "the solution is found here" had the wrong link; corrected it now; This is the right one.

    Quote Originally Posted by zombifier25 View Post
    BTW, I don't have a .Xdefault in my home.
    - make it! one entry is enough.

  5. #15
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    There is another easy way that doesn't use update-alternatives. Described in this post:

    http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...2&postcount=22

    It uses instructions (linked in post) given by one of the cursor makers at gnome-look.org. It uses the ln command to make a new symlink from x-cursor-theme to the desired cursor. One liner.

    The new cursor won't show up in the alternatives list since it was not 'installed'.

    Again, you have to change the gnome cursor too.

  6. #16
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    If instead of adding downloaded cursor themes with update-alternatives,
    would overwriting the /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme work.


    eg The setting changed when using gnome-tweak-tool
    Code:
    gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme "$CURSOR"

    and then...
    Code:
    sudo sh -c "echo '[Icon Theme]\nInherits=$CURSOR' > /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme"
    $CURSOR=new theme

    Update-alternatives is probably the best way, this is just so I can use a script.

  7. #17
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Everybody loves the command line, but there is a utility program with GUI that can do this also:

    Install the program Alternatives Configurator which is in the Ubuntu repository under the package name galternatives.


    USING THE GUI PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES CONFIGURATOR (search for this name in the Dash)

    Preliminary:

    Put new cursor folder in /usr/share/icons. Create cursor.theme file if needed.

    Start the program:

    You are asked for your password.
    Select x-cursor-theme from the list in the left.
    To add a new cursor, click 'Add' button and browse in the popup window to the new cursor's directory in /usr/share/icons.
    Click Open, and select the file cursor.theme
    Click ok.
    Click ok.
    New cursor becomes available in the main window. Select it and close. It will become active after log out.

    For Unity: in addition to the above, use 'advanced settings' to complete the job and change the gnome cursor.
    Last edited by Dennis N; May 20th, 2012 at 09:12 PM.

  8. #18
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis N View Post
    Everybody loves the command line, but there is a utility program with GUI that can do this also:

    Install the program Alternatives Configurator which is in the Ubuntu repository under the package name galternatives.


    USING THE GUI PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES CONFIGURATOR (search for this name in the Dash)

    Preliminary:

    Put new cursor folder in /usr/share/icons. Create cursor.theme file if needed.

    Start the program:

    You are asked for your password.
    Select x-cursor-theme from the list in the left.
    To add a new cursor, click 'Add' button and browse in the popup window to the new cursor's directory in /usr/share/icons.
    Click Open, and select the file cursor.theme
    Click ok.
    Click ok.
    New cursor becomes available in the main window. Select it and close. It will become active after log out.

    As with the manual method, use 'advanced settings' to complete the job and change the gnome cursor.
    Thanks, didn't know about galternatives.
    Just used it to add and select a new theme and it worked after logout.
    ...and thanks for the clear instructions.

  9. #19
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    Quote Originally Posted by stinkeye View Post
    If instead of adding downloaded cursor themes with update-alternatives, would overwriting the /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme work.
    [/COLOR]
    My thought on that:

    Lots of people give this method as the way to change the cursor. It 'works', but could have unforseen consequences, since you are actually directly editing and changing the cursor.theme file of the active cursor to some other cursor's name after Inherits=.

    Especially true if you then change the cursor again with update-alternatives, since that changes the x-cursor-theme link's target to the new cursor instead (and never writes anything to a cursor's file), leaving the previous cursor with the wrong information written in it's cursor.theme file.

  10. #20
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    Re: HowTo: Change Mouse Cursor or Pointer Themes globally and persistently.

    galternatives is a good one.

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