Mouse pointer/themes

[robert]

Hi is there a way to make the mouse pointer show busy whilst opening an app like say firefox etc.  My wife ends up trying to open numerous windows as she doesn't see pointer doing anything and assumes it hasn't started.

[Valtam]

What mouse theme are you using?

[robert]

I haven't changed anything theme wise from original install, so guess it's whatever is the original theme.

[gold_finger]

Hello Robert,

You got me curious with your question, so I tested out loading new mouse themes.  Turns out to be a very simple process and many themes change the cursor when loading things - which is what you wanted to know.  Here are the steps.

1.  Go to this site and look through various cursor themes for ones you like:  http://gnome-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=36.  Try to avoid any that specifically say they are for the KDE desktop.  They may work, but I'm not sure and didn't test any of those.

Just so you know, here is a list of some that I loaded and that do work.  (I tested them on LinuxLite 2.0, but should work same on other versions.)

• http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/U...ent=164300
  
• http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/R...ent=164797
  
• http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/M...ent=154458
  
• http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/P...ent=124442
  
• http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/M...ent=106338
  

2.  Download one to your Downloads folder.

3.  Open file manager to your Downloads folder; right-click on the downloaded theme; select "Extract Here".

4.  Now you'll see a regular folder with name of the mouse theme.  Leave it there for now.

5.  In file manager, click your username on the upper left.  You'll see your normal home folders displayed on the right.

6.  On keyboard, hit combination of "CTRL+H" to show the hidden files.  (Or, along top of file manager, go to View -> Show Hidden Files.)

7.  See if you have a hidden folder called ".icons".  (If you have it, skip down to step 9.)

8.  If you don't have it, you need to make it.

• Right-click on an empty spot in the right-side frame where all the folders are.
  
• Chose "Create Folder"
  
• Name it ".icons" -- no quotes.  (That's "icons" with a period in front of the name).
  

9.  Now go back to your Downloads folder and copy the mouse theme folder you extracted.  (Right-click -> Copy)

10.  Go to the .icons folder and paste it into there.

11.  Now go to main Menu -> Settings -> Settings Manager -> Mouse and Touchpad -> Theme (tab).  It should be listed there.  Just click it and your cursor should immediately change to the new theme.


Hope that helps.  Let me know if you run into problems.

[robert]

Thanks Gold_finger, will let you know how i get on.