Arch Linux

sokuban

Member

Registered: 2006-11-11

Posts: 412

How do you make an X cursor?

I googled a lot, and all I can find are sites that have guides to make big X cursors, or involves the use of strange/outdated programs. (Which doesn't help.) I tried ubuntu and gentoo wiki and neither of them were very helpful. I have made a set of animated cursors a long time ago, but I completely forgot how to, and I can't seem to find the guide I used.

Does anyone know how to make a cursor? Okay, I know Linux doesn't use "cursor files", but if I have a set of images I drew that I want to use as cursors, what would I do? Where does it go? What is the syntax for editing the configuration files? Lucky I don't want to make an animated cursor so it might be a little easier.

I'd prefer it if it doesn't require the use of strange programs. I remember I was able to do it all by the commandline when I did it.

Snowman

Developer/Forum Fellow

From: Montreal, Canada

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 5,212

Re: How do you make an X cursor?

Install them in a directory in /usr/share/icons and add in your ~/.Xdefaults :

Xcursor.theme: redglass
Xcursor.size:  16

Just replace redglass by the directory where you placed your cursors (redglass is one of the theme from  xcursor-themes).

sokuban

Member

Registered: 2006-11-11

Posts: 412

Re: How do you make an X cursor?

Install them in a directory in /usr/share/icons and add in your ~/.Xdefaults :

Xcursor.theme: redglass
Xcursor.size:  16

Just replace redglass by the directory where you placed your cursors (redglass is one of the theme from  xcursor-themes).

That would work if I had cursors. I just have hand drawn pngs. How would I arrange them to be cursors. Obviously putting a few pictures in a folder wouldn't work.

I could try copying the syntax of the cursors already there. I'll do that when I get the chance to go on my other computer. This computer actually runs debian, but my other computer is my main, running Arch. I want my cursors on both of them. I don't think there is too much of a difference per distro, but debian doesn't have any cursors in /usr/share/icons for some reason.

Last edited by sokuban (2008-07-21 00:38:11)

pauldonnelly

Member

Registered: 2006-06-19

Posts: 776

Re: How do you make an X cursor?

You use xcursorgen. See the man page; it's dead simple. Then you put them into ~/.icons/default/cursors/ (for per-user installation) (default is normally a symlink), using the standard names you can get either from an existing theme or from /usr/include/X11/cursorfont.h.

sokuban

Member

Registered: 2006-11-11

Posts: 412

Re: How do you make an X cursor?

You use xcursorgen. See the man page; it's dead simple. Then you put them into ~/.icons/default/cursors/ (for per-user installation) (default is normally a symlink), using the standard names you can get either from an existing theme or from /usr/include/X11/cursorfont.h.

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. I can look in the Arch folders to find out the syntax for naming and it should work.

I will be very busy for the next two weeks, but I'll update this post if I am successful. (It may be a while before I try.)

pauldonnelly

Member

Registered: 2006-06-19

Posts: 776

Re: How do you make an X cursor?

Good luck. And you might find this useful—for some reason Firefox expects a rather odd name for the busy cursor.

ln -s left_ptr_watch 08e8e1c95fe2fc01f976f1e063a24ccd