Steam should not change the global mouse cursor theme

[flyser]

Several people have issues, because Steam changes the mouse cursor theme, which causes the cursor to be inverted sometimes. See this screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/R6Dwa.png
The problem persists in other applications even after Steam was closed.

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Installierte Software:

Neueste Fehlerberichte:
    Sat Dec 15 23:00:48 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/assert_20121216000046_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-39f2d035-a0ac-4e5c-8374-188a52121215''
    Sun Dec 16 20:42:39 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20121216214237_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-229fa7fd-ca67-47c0-8b30-969272121216''
    Sun Dec 16 20:43:08 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/assert_20121216214304_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-a2f6208d-279b-4ea5-b7fc-b17fd2121216''
    Sun Dec 16 23:48:34 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20121217004833_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-f599ad91-37c2-4f5e-b563-50e682121216''
    Mon Dec 17 21:41:56 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20121217224154_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-ab220a30-a38d-482a-a748-14ae32121217''
    Tue Dec 18 21:55:03 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20121218225501_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-1242db39-2435-4ab9-b491-d47a02121218''
    Wed Dec 19 21:17:01 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/crash_20121219221659_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-aa923b65-e092-4b03-8488-8cbe52121219''
    Wed Dec 19 21:17:22 2012 GMT: file ''/tmp/dumps/assert_20121219221720_1.dmp'', upload yes: ''CrashID=bp-f5f78820-6663-4050-9928-e65042121219''

[dotboris]

You can reset the cursor back to what it was when steam is closed using
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr

[flyser]

That is a workaround and not a bug fix. There is no reason for steam to mess around with the system mouse cursor theme.

[dotboris]

I am well aware of that. This workaround could still help some people.

[ghost]

The workaround doesn't work, because Steam instantaneously changes the mouse pointer back to the inverted one while it is running. So I can't use the machine, while downloading something in the background.

[patientone]

http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Steam#Mouse_cursor

"If your WM/DE does not set a mouse pointer theme, then Steam will overwrite the default X11 cursor theme, often resulting in a reversed pointer from left to right."

That page also provides a potential client-side fix of defining a default cursor theme for your profile. Hope this helps!

[snai]

I am using Gentoo and awesome window manager and can confirm this bug occurs too.

@fragstel I have set a cursor theme but still steam is changing it.

[patientone]

Hmm...Possibly change the file to read-only? I'd be sad if it replaces existing files that have nothing to do with Steam or any game.

[ghost]

The Gentoo description is wrong: My WM has set a mouse pointer theme (Oxygen Black), Steam simply overwrites it. Also changing it back while Steam is running doesn't work.

The pointer theme that Steam is forcing globally on all apps is called "xsetroot -cursor_name arrow", which is only used by very old apps for selecting menu items. So they just confused "arrow" with "right_arrow" or "default_ptr". But Steam should not change or lock the global cursor theme at all.

[STrRedWolf]

I can confirm in Gentoo that Steam changes the cursor theme no matter what the original is. I'm using KDE on Gentoo.

[patientone]

Hopefully they will address this as it is a major issue (even if not everyone experiences it).

As for workarounds, does the below link help at all?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Steam#Mouse_Cursor_Overwritten

[zainin]

Yes, this workaround works.

[vially]

👍

[mdaffin]

I also suffer from this and non of the workarounds see to help :(

Running kde 4.10 on Archlinux.

[patientone]

@James147 not sure if it will help considering you are on KDE, but have you tried installing gnome-cursors-fix from the AUR?

[mdaffin]

@fragstel turns out the fix only works with the Adwaita theme :( was attempting to use my native Oxygen one instead... so it isn't really a fix... just another cursor.

[bldewolf]

This is really bizarre. I was working on an LD_PRELOAD hack to stop this when I realized that Steam is repeatedly changing the X cursor. Don't believe me? Install ltrace and run Steam as:

DEBUGGER="ltrace -e XDefineCursor" steam

You'll see that it recklessly hammers away with:

vgui2_s.so->XDefineCursor(0xa216cd8, 243, 0x2a00010, 0xffd6c490) = 1

repeatedly. I'm not sure what the intended behavior here is, but it definitely doesn't seem right.

Anyway, I have a repo with the LD_PRELOAD hack to neuter the cursor changing properly over at https://github.com/bldewolf/steam-cursorfix

[teplyakoff]

Same issue. Cursor is changed and points to wrong direction and still wrong after steam was closed.
LXDE, archlinux

[Salamek]

Same here, please Steam, DONT TOUCH MY CURSOR!!! :-)

[danbruegge]

"Same here, please Steam, DONT TOUCH MY CURSOR!!! :-)" +1

[torval]

Mine is only inverted when I am actually pointing at something in the Steam window. As soon as I scroll off of it to my other monitor, it reverts back to the original pointer.

I would still like a fix for this however; I do not like the inverted cursor. It messes with my brain.

[mdaffin]

@torval mine also revert back to normal on most applications, but on some applications (like when I hover over a menu in chromium) I get the backwards cursor (this does not happen before launching steam and continues after steam is closed).

[bldewolf]

@torval @James147 I believe the reason that the cursor is broken in some applications and okay in others is that the X cursor, if it isn't set, is inherited from the root window. Steam changes the root window's cursor, so windows that have a cursor specified are still okay. (I suspect they didn't catch this because their test case involved a desktop application covering the root window so they never noticed?)

[XeHK]

I've just putted 'cursors' dir and 'index.theme' file of my cursor theme to ~/.icons/default directory and replaced in 'cursors' dir 'right_ptr' & 'right_side' with 'left_ptr' & 'left_side' file copies so they are the same now, and when steam makes my cursor right-sided I don't see any difference.

[Nemoder]

@bldewolf thanks for posting the LD_PRELOAD hack, it's the only thing that has solved this for me.

[Saeron]

I have the same problem whit archlinux + xfce , and is really annoying. I dont want change my theme for one aplication, and i think that valve is who should fixed, not a hack.

[johnv-valve]

I think I have a fix for the Steam cursors affecting other windows. If anybody has a good repro for this on Ubuntu & Unity, that will help me verify that it's really fixed.