Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

kdorf · 2010-09-05 14:46:58

Working on my Awesome theming, I noticed that Awesome causes my mouse cursor theme to do some weird things. I know that Awesome doesn't really "support" other than the default X11 cursor theme per the FAQ here: http://awesome.naquadah.org/wiki/FAQ#Ho … r_theme.3F

While running "xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr" seems to allow me to set my mouse cursor over the background and applications, it only works temporarily. After a while, my mouse cursor (while it is displaying the pointer) reverts back to the default X11 black cursor. I can run the command again to fix the issue (again, temporarily) but it's pretty annoying. Other pointers (besides the default pointer) seem to be correct *most* of the time (sometimes, the other cursors flip back to the X11 default, too).

I set "Xcursor.theme: DMZ-White" in .Xdefaults. I also run "xrdb -load ~/.Xdefaults" in my .xinitrc. Other settings in Xdefaults (terminal colors, etc.) are taking effect.

I am exporting the GTK2_RC_FILES environment variable to get my GTK applications themed. I've tried settings the pointer theme here and leaving it as the default X11 theme and neither seem to make any difference. I have also tried to run gnome-settings-daemon to see if that will make the cursor theme stick -- it also has no apparent effect.

The pointer will only revert back to the default after I mouse over the awesome bar or do something else that would cause it to temporarily go back to the default, at least as far as I have noticed. It doesn't do it every time though.

A strange issue, to be sure. Has anyone else had similar experiences? Should I just learn to live with the ugly X11 cursor theme?

kaptenen · 2010-09-05 15:32:43

Yeah, same here, but I dont care so much.

quarkup · 2010-09-06 12:06:14

me too, but i dont care much

kdorf · 2010-09-06 16:25:36

Disappointing, but I suppose I will learn to live with it. I have been working on getting Awesome themed and getting some functional widgets going to eliminate the need for e.g. gnome-settings-daemon to control volume. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to chime in.

Thanks!

Varg · 2010-09-06 17:13:25

The vicious widgets are really neat for that kind of stuff.
An example for volume control:

-- Sound volume
volumewidget = widget ({ type = "textbox" })
vicious.register( volumewidget, vicious.widgets.volume, "Volume : $2 $1%", 4, "Master" )
volumewidget:buttons(awful.util.table.join(
    awful.button({ }, 1, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q sset Master toggle", false) end),
    awful.button({ }, 3, function () awful.util.spawn("urxvt -e alsamixer", true) end),
    awful.button({ }, 4, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q sset Master 1dB+", false) end),
    awful.button({ }, 5, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q sset Master 1dB-", false) end)
))

and keybindings for my volume buttons

  awful.key({ }, "XF86AudioRaiseVolume", function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q sset Master 1dB+", false) end),
    awful.key({ }, "XF86AudioLowerVolume", function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q sset Master 1dB-", false) end),

I don't know whether these are the best solutions but it did the trick for me. For now I don't use Awesome that much because it doesn't really fit my needs.

To stay on topic with the cursor question, I don't know the fix but you can use the Neutral_Plus icon theme. I think that you can find it on gnome-look.org. The default cursor looks like the X cursor and thus hides the problem a bit.

kdorf · 2010-09-06 18:06:16

Thanks Varg, I might try Neutral Plus. I like DMZ but the other theme might actually go better with what I've got already.

As for the volume control widget, I opted to do my own. I stole panel icons from Ubuntu (ubuntu-mono-dark) and scripted it to update to the appropriate icon on volume change, mouseover, and once every so often in case volume changes via other means. I did something similar with a battery widget for my laptop.

If there's any interest I'd be happy to share them. They could use some cleaning up, however.

codycarey · 2010-09-06 21:56:18

Possibly related to this? http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/18923?project=1

Arch Linux

#1 2010-09-05 14:46:58

Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#2 2010-09-05 15:32:43

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#3 2010-09-06 12:06:14

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#4 2010-09-06 16:25:36

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#5 2010-09-06 17:13:25

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#6 2010-09-06 18:06:16

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

#7 2010-09-06 21:56:18

Re: Awesome WM -- mouse cursor theme doesn't "stick"

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