Bug 301622

Summary: Mouse cursor gets huge depending on its position on a screen when multiple screens are attached
Product: [Plasma] kwin Reporter: Wolfgang Mader <Wolfgang_Mader>
Component: generalAssignee: Marie Loise Nolden <nolden>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: normal CC: 420ever, aog2000a, aspotashev, atle.pedersen, axel.braun, bernie9998, biergaizi2009, bugs, cfeck, chaos.proton, comato, dag, daniel.armbrust.list, david.cortes.rivera, elvis.angelaccio, frapell, germano.massullo, hperrin+kdebugtracker, inglessi, james.ellis, kde.org, kde, ken20001, kitts.mailinglists, kkszysiu, laguest, lilydjwg, martin.stiborsky, matt.drzazga, maximilien1er, me, me, mvasilchuk, nate, nospam, pavelpat, peter, postix, priv, razorx, renatkh, rosencrantz, rushpl, SDSLeon999, sebastien.guerin.news, tbondvagyok, thescratcherman, wdiazux
Priority: NOR    
Version: 5.16.2   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: unspecified   
OS: Linux   
URL: http://cloud.brain-frog.de/public.php?service=files&token=59818f53dd72ada41f042c45892548131bac8665&file=/bigPointer.png
See Also: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=439439
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=450213
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: Screenshot of my monitors settings
Large pointer comparision
output of `kscreen-console bug`
CRD: screenshot 1
CRD: screenshot 2

Description Wolfgang Mader 2012-06-11 07:16:09 UTC
This bug has already been posted as BUG 301584, but was closed, because it was reported to the wrong component. From the comments I guess, that this might be the correct component.

My laptop screen is of dimension 1280x800. If I connect an external screen to the machine which is of dimension 1680x1050, I get an huge mouse pointer, but only inside windows, not on the desktop, and not on the window decoration.

The video card is:
VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (primary) (rev 0c)

The huge pointer only appears if the external monitor exceeds a specific size, but I can not tell which exactely.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Connect a large external monitor.
2. Move the mouse inside a window area.
Actual Results:  
Actual Results:  
Huge mouse pointer.

Expected Results:  
Expected Results:  
Mouse pointer of normal size.
Comment 1 Christoph Feck 2012-06-11 10:22:45 UTC
What DPI is reported for the two displays?
Comment 2 Wolfgang Mader 2012-06-11 12:14:55 UTC
I use

xdpyinfo | grep resolution

to get the dpi. I only get one screen reported, and therefore only one dpi value. But as long as there is no screen connected, dpi = 92, with external screen dpi = 112.
Comment 3 Evan Sosenko 2012-11-14 02:25:20 UTC
I have the problem on two systems.

1) Kubuntu 12.10 64bit running on VMware Workstation 9.0.1.
When I cycle multiple monitors the mouse is huge inside the windows. This persists even after retuning to single monitor mode.

2) Kubuntu 12.10 64bit running on a Chromebox Series 3. If I rotate my display the bug appears. On reboot the screen will remain rotated but the bug goes away.
Comment 4 Krzysztof Klinikowski 2012-11-19 23:58:51 UTC
I have the same problem.

I connected secondary monitor - Del U2412M to my laptop Asus N53SV using D-sub and have huge cursor even on my primary 15,6" display...

It's 48x48px propably. I tried to use cursor settings to force 24x24 cursor size but it doesn't resolve my problem...
Comment 5 Krzysztof Klinikowski 2012-11-20 00:01:17 UTC
Created attachment 75367 [details]
Screenshot of my monitors settings
Comment 6 Krzysztof Klinikowski 2012-11-20 00:02:04 UTC
Created attachment 75368 [details]
Large pointer comparision
Comment 7 Giedrius G. 2013-03-22 21:32:53 UTC
I am also getting the same problem, but only when the second monitor is larger than the primary.
Comment 8 Giedrius G. 2013-03-23 14:17:02 UTC
I have found a solution to this problem. If you change the cursor theme to have fixed pointer size it solves the problem.
Comment 9 Brian Bernstein 2013-07-23 02:14:00 UTC
Just wanted to add that the large cursor, for me at least, only occurs on applications launched after the second monitor is plugged in.  It does not occur on applications launched before the second monitor was added or after the second monitor is removed.
Comment 10 Vladimir Kulev 2013-07-23 07:05:37 UTC
I have the same problem, xrandr configuration is the following:
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 3120 x 1920, maximum 16384 x 16384
DVI-I-2 connected 1920x1080+1200+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 531mm x 299mm
   1920x1080      60.0*+
DVI-I-3 connected 1200x1920+0+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 518mm x 324mm
   1920x1200      60.0*+
Comment 11 Martin Stiborský 2013-10-22 08:30:28 UTC
Same problem here. Archlinux with KDE 4.11.2.
Macbook Pro and with second monitor connected.

Notebook display resolution: 1440x900
Second display resolution: 1920x1080

Workaround proposed by Giedrius G. with changing mouse cursor theme seems to be working so far.
Comment 12 Grissiom 2014-04-08 04:24:36 UTC
The same problem here(Slackware, KDE 4.10.5).

I noticed that the mouse is right on the toolbar and Konsole, Chrome. It is only become huge in the main part of Dolphin, Okular etc. Is it a bug in Qt?
Comment 13 CM 2014-04-25 00:19:23 UTC
This bug seems to happen on a per app basis. E.g.:
Connect external monitor to laptop (same resolution, 1920x1080 on both screens).
Open QT app, e.g. Dolphin.
Pointer size changes inside window, but not on decoration.
Giedrius G.'s fixed size trick reverts size back to normal.
Open another QT app, e.g. another Dolphin window. Pointer gets huge again, but only in newly opened windows.
Comment 14 Damian 2014-05-09 09:23:10 UTC
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
Comment 15 Pavel Patrin 2015-02-25 06:35:23 UTC
Have same problem on Kubuntu 15.04 beta. 2 displays - laptop's 1366x768 and monitor's full hd by hdmi.
Intel HD 4000.
Comment 16 Tom Li 2015-03-14 08:39:10 UTC
Hit by same issue with KDE 4.14.5 on Gentoo.
Comment 17 jamese 2015-04-05 00:45:43 UTC
Created attachment 91892 [details]
output of `kscreen-console bug`
Comment 18 jamese 2015-04-05 00:46:07 UTC
I have the same issue in  Kubuntu 15.04 beta  with KF v5.8. The cursor theme is the default Breeze with no changes on my part. The mouse cursor is only large size over Windows, not window decorations or the desktop background.

Screen setup is:

eDP1 : laptop @ 1920x1080
HDMI2  @ 1920x1080
DP1  (displayport) : @ 1920x1080

See attached for more `kscreen-console bug` output.

Workaround: switch the mouse cursor size to "24" rather than "resolution dependent".
Comment 19 TheGuy 2015-05-11 22:53:27 UTC
Can confirm as well on SolydK with KDE 4.14.2. Did not occur when I had only an ASUS 1920x1080 monitor attached through HDMI and an old DELL 1280x1024 through VGA, but did happen once I added a 1200x1920 DELL through DVI-D. Switching mouse cursor size to 24 instead of resolution dependent only works until I open a new program.
Comment 20 Christoph Feck 2015-06-22 21:53:54 UTC
*** Bug 349496 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 21 strangepostinghabits 2015-07-29 12:14:18 UTC
Not to be a party pooper, but I'm getting the same bug in i3wm.

only on one screen though, and only in some applications.
Comment 22 Martin van Es 2015-08-25 09:55:53 UTC
Comment #8 saved my day!
Comment 23 Atle 2015-10-01 11:25:42 UTC
On my system (kubuntu, Qt: 5.4.1, KDE Frameworks: 5.9.0) the problem is that after the problem has been triggered _new_ applications have a 48 dpi cursor. This means that applications started before I connect the monitor triggering the problem still has a 24 dpi cursor.  But all new applications get the 48 dpi cursors.

I've done some testing on my laptop, and the problem seems to be related to screen size. If I connect a second monitor and turn the laptop screen off, the problem is not triggered.

Some info from xrandr and xdpyinfo.
Only one monitor connected to VGA, laptop screen is off:

LVDS1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VGA1 connected 1200x1920+0+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 518mm x 324mm

screen #0:
  dimensions:    1200x1920 pixels (317x507 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch

But when I have two extern monitors or the laptop monitor pluss one extern monitor, the problem is triggered.

Only VGA extern, laptop display on:
LVDS1 connected 1600x900+0+1020 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 309mm x 174mm
VGA1 connected 1200x1920+1600+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 518mm x 324mm

screen #0:
  dimensions:    2800x1920 pixels (739x507 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch

Two external monitors, one on VGA and one on Display Port, laptop monitor off:

LVDS1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP3 connected 1200x1920+1200+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 518mm x 324mm
VGA1 connected 1200x1920+0+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 518mm x 324mm

screen #0:
  dimensions:    2400x1920 pixels (634x507 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch


As can be seen, resolution is the same in all situations. Dimensions is correlated to the problem. VGA and Displayport behave the same in my tests. All external monitors are in portrait mode.

Changing dpi using xrandr only affects windows, not the cursor (but this is not thoroughly tested). 

The work around solution in KDE is turning of resolution dependent in "Mouse Cursor Theme".
Comment 24 Atle 2015-10-01 12:52:23 UTC
I just started a non-kde program (atom, the text editor, but also tested with xterm), and although I'm now selected 24 instead of using the "Resolution dependent" cursor, I still get a huge 48dpi cursor for this application.
Comment 25 Mateusz 2015-10-16 17:51:05 UTC
It's been a long time, and this problem is still not solved.
Comment 26 Maxime Deraspe 2016-02-19 00:50:49 UTC
bump !
Comment 27 Peter Nann 2016-05-20 01:54:39 UTC
Me too. THUMP!
This has pushed me back to Mate I am sorry to say...
Comment 28 Christoph Feck 2016-05-20 02:09:22 UTC
Read comment #8.
Comment 29 Peter Nann 2016-05-20 02:20:33 UTC
Read comments 13, 19 and 24.

The 'fix' isn't permanent/global in all cases.

I haven't tested myself before I abandoned KDE. But I am going with 3 people are unlikely to all be wrong.
Comment 30 daniel.armbrust.list 2016-06-11 03:54:36 UTC
Can confirm this issue as well.  The workaround of setting the mouse size to 24 only works temporarily, and oversize mouse pointers keep coming back at random times.

Is there any way to forcibly disable the dynamic mouse sizing?

Next best option, is there a way I can hack up a mouse theme such that it only has size 24 cursors?  I've tried to find a different cursor set that is only offered in one size... but so far no luck (but it seems 80 percent of the cursor themes available in the them picker don't work at all - not sure if that has been a good test)

Right now, I just have to keep going back to the settings dialog multiple times a day and toggling the mouse pointer size.
Comment 31 Thomas Lübking 2016-06-12 11:31:20 UTC
*** Bug 364218 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 32 Damian Kaczmarek 2016-06-12 11:48:52 UTC
Daniel, another workaround is forcing the fonts DPI to 96 inside `kcmshell5 fonts`.
Comment 33 Christoph Feck 2017-04-26 23:03:07 UTC
*** Bug 378502 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 34 stheine 2017-06-29 05:19:11 UTC
I can confirm this bug in Kubuntu 17.04, KDE Plasma 5.9.4, KDE Framework 5.31.0, Qt 5.7.1.
It appeared after installing a 1200x1920 display (yes, in portrait mode) in addition to two 1920x1200 displays (in landscape), giving a total resolution of 5040x1920.
Symptoms as in Comment 13 and Comment 18.
Setting the cursor theme/ pointer size only helps temporarily.

The permanent fix for me is as described in Comment 32:
System Settings/ Appearance/ Fonts/ [x] Force fonts DPI: 96
Comment 35 David 2018-02-05 20:04:31 UTC
Can confirm the bug is still present in 5.11.4 with X11. Another workaround is to set the cursor size to fixed and not resolution dependent (systemsettings5 -> Workspace theme -> Cursor theme -> at the bottom-right change resolution dependent to the size you want).
Comment 36 Nick Cross 2018-12-01 10:30:25 UTC
I have seen this on my laptop using default theming:

Operating System: Fedora 29
KDE Plasma Version: 5.14.3
Qt Version: 5.11.1
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.52.0
Kernel Version: 4.19.4-300.fc29.x86_64

It happens when I connect to my monitor - a BenQ PD2700Q with 2560 x 1440. The cursor gets very large and doesn't scale correctly.
Comment 37 Hunter Perrin 2018-12-19 21:54:07 UTC
This happens to me on my laptop without any external monitor. I have a 4K screen, and I've set the resolution to 1080, and in certain parts of the interface, like along screen edges, the cursor will become huge.
Comment 38 Christoph Feck 2018-12-27 19:18:02 UTC
*** Bug 401743 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 39 Ariel Garcia 2019-01-02 01:01:25 UTC
I also confirm this issue, running Debian testing/buster with
  KDE Plasma: 5.14.3
  Qt version: 5.11.2
  KDE Frameworks: 5.51.0
on a laptop with an internal display 2560x1440 plus an 3440x1440 external monitor, Intel integrated graphics, and default theme breeze.

As mentioned in some former comments, the workaround of setting the mouse size to 24 only works temporarily. Only forcing the fonts DPI "solves" the problem in my case.
Comment 40 Germano Massullo 2019-02-15 13:49:16 UTC
Confirming on
Plasma 5.15.0
KDE Framework 5.54.0
Wayland session
Comment 41 Eugene 2019-06-09 01:41:04 UTC
The same disgusting on Kubuntu 19.04 Wayland session:

KDE Plasma: 5.15.5
KDE Frameworks: 5.57.0
QT: 5.12.2
Linux: 5.0.0-16 x86_64
Comment 42 Peridot 2019-07-22 11:02:39 UTC
KDE Plasma Version: 5.16.3
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.61.0
Qt Version: 5.12.3

I can reproduce the issue only in wayland, it does not happen using xorg
Comment 43 Nate Graham 2020-01-11 19:35:40 UTC
For those of you experiencing this issue, does it temporarily go away if you log out and log back in again? If so, it could be related to Bug 382604.
Comment 44 Bug Janitor Service 2020-01-26 04:33:13 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
15 days. Please provide the requested information as soon as
possible and set the bug status as REPORTED. Due to regular bug
tracker maintenance, if the bug is still in NEEDSINFO status with
no change in 30 days the bug will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

If you have already provided the requested information, please
mark the bug as REPORTED so that the KDE team knows that the bug is
ready to be confirmed.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 45 Axel Braun 2020-01-26 14:48:22 UTC
(In reply to Peridot from comment #42)
> KDE Plasma Version: 5.16.3
> KDE Frameworks Version: 5.61.0
> Qt Version: 5.12.3
> 
> I can reproduce the issue only in wayland, it does not happen using xorg

Same here:
Plasma 5.17.5
Framework 5.66.0
Qt 5.14.0
openSUSE Tumbleweed 20200124

It does not go away if I log out and in again
Comment 46 Nate Graham 2020-01-26 16:12:16 UTC
Thanks.
Comment 47 Alexander Potashev 2020-03-16 10:33:54 UTC
Same problem when starting a KDE Plasma session in Chrome Remote Desktop:

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Start a KDE Plasma session through Chrome Remote Desktop
2. Notice that mouse pointer is huge when it's inside the Plasma desktop (e.g. in Folder View mode)
3. Open Displays KCM, notice the same problem in some parts of the KCM (see screenshot.)

KDE Plasma Version: 5.14.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.62.0
Qt Version: 5.11.3
Comment 48 Alexander Potashev 2020-03-16 10:34:45 UTC
Created attachment 126825 [details]
CRD: screenshot 1
Comment 49 Alexander Potashev 2020-03-16 10:34:57 UTC
Created attachment 126826 [details]
CRD: screenshot 2
Comment 50 laguest@archeia.com 2021-08-04 12:27:54 UTC
I have two screens, one is 4k and the other is 1080p, scaling the smaller to match the resolution of the 4k one, I get a massive pointer on the smaller screen only.

I used to get massive window frame icons too, but I've just tested with the latest version (in testing) and they seem to be ok, for now.

I've posted this on bug #439439 too.
Comment 51 Alexander Potashev 2021-11-06 21:45:58 UTC
(In reply to Alexander Potashev from comment #47)
> Same problem when starting a KDE Plasma session in Chrome Remote Desktop:
> 
> STEPS TO REPRODUCE
> 1. Start a KDE Plasma session through Chrome Remote Desktop
> 2. Notice that mouse pointer is huge when it's inside the Plasma desktop
> (e.g. in Folder View mode)
> 3. Open Displays KCM, notice the same problem in some parts of the KCM (see
> screenshot.)
> 
> KDE Plasma Version: 5.14.5
> KDE Frameworks Version: 5.62.0
> Qt Version: 5.11.3

Cannot reproduce the bug with CRD in Plasma 5.21.5.
Comment 52 kde.org 2021-11-06 21:47:22 UTC
User reports issue cannot be reproduced with recent KDE