# XFCE4 mouse point goes missing, is xfce stable?



## debguy (Feb 27, 2021)

After first install I installed gnome, failed (X not yet installed - dependencies were not pulled in, newbie mistake).  For that and disk other reason I fresh re-intalled freeBSD12.2.

I installed X, the nvidia driver, XFCE4, firefox.  As close to handbook and advices as I could find.

I was disappointed - immediately there was no mouse.  I then loaded twm(1) and mouse was fine.  I loaded back up xfce4 again.  If I played with interface menus the mouse appeared.  I loaded firefox:  MOUSE DISAPPEARED AGAIN.  I tried a different video driver.  Mouse was on and off.  So i un-installed xfce4 nothing I could do.

Me - I don't like running things that are highly broken.  I'm always happier with twm(1) if nothing is around that isn't broken.  If I can't type or click.  If my work is interrupted:  it's a problem.

Let me say why I installed freeBSD.  I've been studying math and run Mathematica (stable on slackware 7.0 btw).  On Windows 10, IT'S TOTALLY UN-RELIABLE.  I'm continually interrupted with:  mouse disappearing problems (yes, in Win10).  Microsoft continually hacking (continual updates, shadowing my work shadow drive, admin consoles continually opening seen in task manager).  MATHEMTICA continually crashes:  more on Apple (i sold my iMac because of it) but still often on Win10.

I had hoped if I took time to install (freeBSD or ubuntu - and I know ubuntu has tech terrorist admins I've dealt with before), that Mathematica would RUN STABLE, no mouse disappearing, no daily forced reboots (win10 has forced reboots and updates browser every time you open your first in the morning: awful plan).

I'm very much getting fed up with the people who are "supposed much higher than me making critical decisions".

They not only are forcing upgrades they are interfering with my ability to work.


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## Snurg (Feb 27, 2021)

FYI, there was recently a post about issues xfce mouse pointer disappearing near the corners, caused by some outdated/wrong driver/setting. Maybe some forum search could help?

My unqualified personal guess for such issues is that one layer forgets to increase/decrease the visibility counter, and then you get this kind of fun of finding out the layer responsible.


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## debguy (Mar 1, 2021)

Thank you, no.  the disappearing was total (not near corners is my point).  the mouse cursor would appear when clicking (blindly) certain menu items.

Your supposing I "need XFCE4" I don't.  I need a stable window manager as a fallback when other WM are "in libs port hell".

You might be right about the source of the problem, thank you.  But had I submitted a fix I'd probably have been banned from XFCE4's forum for not agreeing with XFCE4's admins.  Do you see my point?  Your saying I could fix it but I can't actually since I'm not an XFCE4 key holder.


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## debguy (Mar 1, 2021)

I have serious issues in Win10: if I press a wrong key speed typing my input starts going into minimized windows on other desktops without any indication. And many other serious bugs such as pretty frequen mm crashes.  iMac just crashes and does so multiple times daily.

My only issue with freeBSD sitting here today is:  no CONTRIB/ folder.  Ports has become "communist" (it's really part of BASE now, and i understand some ubuntu people are in freeBSD maybe putting a stick in the wheel - somewhere in freeBSD).

CONTRIB?  yea it would be cool if there was a real /usr/contrib/ what takes ports off of github and has 0 maintainers (meaning, popcorn ruled, maintainers only remove malware, and freeBSD doesn't try to jail compile them all, that is up to the user base).  If I want somethign fixed some "non-profit profiteers" tell me i'm not allowed to fix anything becasuse "that's their job and they don't wanna give up power".  Since there would be too many uploads, there would have to be "expiration if not submitted every release" and all code and bins would have to be fetched off github (freeBSD could not handle the load and heat).

see my point?  maybe not, maybe I'm alone in my wish for "a no maintainers section".  I don't think there's any linux or bsd with a /usr/contrib pkg system any longer.  gone are the days of slackware and popcorn folders.

I mean freeBSD is, WAS, a "no big corp" deal, make it a non-profit, boom you loose that.  All of the sudden contributors however wise or not, are told they aren't big cheese and only big cheese are getting credits:  only pkg they bless are in, anything they don't bless "didn't matter", and if you disagree:  they IP BLOCK YOU.  And really that is all from big tech.  I think cannonical and big tech are bitching freeBSD:  BUT I'M NOT SURE.  I'm really asking, sniffing around for a good BSD that is really free and is controlled by those who have reasons to prevent progress (ie, perhaps insure desktops have glitches to push peopel to ubuntu or win10 - very common.  force upgrades of hardware make china happy: users un-happy).

You know the deal?


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## debguy (Mar 1, 2021)

However the bug above, install issue, that is not sniffing.  That's a legitimate install question.  It's assumed on install I need a WM which actually has a mouse cursor.  And XFCE4 may work for some didn't work for me.


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## debguy (Mar 1, 2021)

So I guess it's just me.  No one else has ever had that happen with XFCE4?


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## bsduck (Mar 2, 2021)

Never encountered such a problem. Maybe try to run the moused service?


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## tingo (Mar 5, 2021)

FWIW, XFce works here (and has done so for many years).


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## bessie (Mar 9, 2021)

My 02¢: in xfce4 my mouse cursor never disappears, but will random freeze for 5 seconds then come right, abt once every 5 minutes. But then I don't have a proper mouse, Elantech touchpad is probably too new for all the wrinkles to be ironed out yet, and it's not serious enough to start digging in debug logs...


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