Change system default X11 cursor theme.

[Rog131]

This is posted under the Experimentation/Customization/Optimization (> Topic: Rules for posting in this forum).


An ordinary user can add and change the mouse cursor themes: System Settings > Keyboard & Mouse > Mouse > Cursor Theme

[img width=400 height=321]http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7739/rodent.png[/img]

The KDE may or may not use them:
> Bug #305201: KDE 4 Mouse Theme is reset to Oxygen on reboot
> Bug #288502: KDE 4 doesn't respect X11 cursor themes


The system is using alternatives /1/ to set the mouse theme before you log in.

man update-alternatives

NAME
update-alternatives - maintain symbolic links determining default commands

SYNOPSIS
update-alternatives [options] command

DESCRIPTION

update-alternatives creates, removes, maintains and displays information about the symbolic links comprising the Debian alternatives system.

It is possible for several programs fulfilling the same or similar functions to be installed on a single system at the same time...

With KDE gui:

Package: kalternatives

graphical alternatives system configuration tool

System Settings > Advanced > Alternatives Configuration


Change system default mouse theme

sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme

There are 7 choices for the alternative x-cursor-theme (providing /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme).

Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 auto mode
1 /etc/X11/cursors/Bluecurve.theme 20 manual mode
2 /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme 20 manual mode
3 /etc/X11/cursors/core.theme 30 manual mode
4 /etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme 20 manual mode
5 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 manual mode
6 /etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme 20 manual mode
7 /etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme 20 manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 2
update-alternatives: using /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme to provide /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme (x-cursor-theme) in manual mode.

Add a new system mouse theme

0) Download a new mouse theme and unpack it
1) Add a theme file to the /etc/X11/cursors/
2) Make a theme directory to the /usr/share/icons/ and copy the theme files there
3) Add the theme to the alternatives


Example:

0) Dowloading a theme > Kubuntaero. Unpacking it.

The Kubuntaero_v1.0 directory has: A subdirectory cursors and a index.theme file.

1) Copying the "index.theme" file to the /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme and adding "inherits" info. The /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme has:

[Icon Theme]
Name=Kubuntaero_v1.0
Comment=Aero-drop based mouse pointers with a Kubunto-ish touch
Inherits = Kubuntaero_v1.0

2) Making a /usr/share/icons/Kubuntaero_v1.0/ directory and copying there:
+ index.theme
+ cursors

the /usr/share/icons/Kubuntaero_v1.0/ has:

:~$ ls -l /usr/share/icons/Kubuntaero_v1.0/
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2009-07-18 17:10 cursors
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 98 2010-06-01 16:13 index.theme

3) Adding the theme to the alternatives:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme x-cursor-theme /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme 20

After this the Kubuntaero_v1.0 mouse theme is usable with the system and all users.

update-alternatives --list x-cursor-theme

/etc/X11/cursors/Bluecurve.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/core.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme

and

sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme

There are 7 choices for the alternative x-cursor-theme (providing /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme).

Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 auto mode
1 /etc/X11/cursors/Bluecurve.theme 20 manual mode
2 /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme 20 manual mode
3 /etc/X11/cursors/core.theme 30 manual mode
4 /etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme 20 manual mode
5 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 manual mode
6 /etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme 20 manual mode
7 /etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme 20 manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 2
update-alternatives: using /etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme to provide /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme (x-cursor-theme) in manual mode.

Remove a system mouse theme

1) Remove the theme from the alternatives
2) Remove the theme file from the /etc/X11/cursors/
3) Remove the theme directory from the /usr/share/icons/

Example:

1) Removing a theme from the mouse themes:

sudo update-alternatives --remove x-cursor-theme /etc/X11/cursors/Bluecurve.theme

after this the Bluecurve.theme is not available:

update-alternatives --list x-cursor-theme

/etc/X11/cursors/Kubuntaero_v1.0.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/core.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme
/etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme

2&3) Cleaning the /etc/X11/cursors/ and /usr/share/icons/


Links:
/1/ > Using the Debian alternatives system
/2/ > How to Make a Cursors File for Ubuntu
/3/ > Xcursor Theme Tutorial
/4/ > Freedesktop.org Specifications >> Cursor conventions specification