mouse trapped in wrong layer
by linuxUser247 from LinuxQuestions.org on (#55DRQ)
I have this problem that is haunting me for years now. It seems completely random when it happens.
Environment:
- Desktop OS of Ubuntu 19.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Ubuntu 20.04
- Unity, Gnome
The problem:
The mouse seems trapped in the wrong layer of windows. I can navigate with the mouse but any click action is trapped below the active window. For example, when writing in a Libre Document full screen, using left click I can start / stop a YouTube video in FireFox that happens to be in that mouse position. The error here is that FireFox is not the active window, it is behind the active window. The active window is Libre Writer and I cannot use any mouse actions on it.
I have the same problem with every Gui application. Sometimes the gnome docker does not work, sometimes Firefox works except the top bar of the application. The problem magically appears and is persistent after reboot. Sometimes it magically disappears and there are no problems for a while.
I made the following observation:
1. the problem appeared on User Account a
2. I logged out of a and into User Account b: b does not have the problem
3. I enabled automatic log in for account b and the problem appeared
4. I logged out of b and into a: the problem disappeared on a
5. I enabled automatic log in for a and the problem still disappeared
The system was rebooted on steps 1, 3 and 5. I thought I could consistently replicate the issue with step 5 but no, I couldn't.
On other days I thought I solved the problems by removing a certain application from autostart.
I am using gnome desktop on a fresh install. I had this problem before with Ubuntu 19 with Unity installed. Account b is a new account created on the fresh install, but some profiles have been copied over such as Firefox and Thunderbird.
any advice?
Environment:
- Desktop OS of Ubuntu 19.04, Ubuntu 19.10, Ubuntu 20.04
- Unity, Gnome
The problem:
The mouse seems trapped in the wrong layer of windows. I can navigate with the mouse but any click action is trapped below the active window. For example, when writing in a Libre Document full screen, using left click I can start / stop a YouTube video in FireFox that happens to be in that mouse position. The error here is that FireFox is not the active window, it is behind the active window. The active window is Libre Writer and I cannot use any mouse actions on it.
I have the same problem with every Gui application. Sometimes the gnome docker does not work, sometimes Firefox works except the top bar of the application. The problem magically appears and is persistent after reboot. Sometimes it magically disappears and there are no problems for a while.
I made the following observation:
1. the problem appeared on User Account a
2. I logged out of a and into User Account b: b does not have the problem
3. I enabled automatic log in for account b and the problem appeared
4. I logged out of b and into a: the problem disappeared on a
5. I enabled automatic log in for a and the problem still disappeared
The system was rebooted on steps 1, 3 and 5. I thought I could consistently replicate the issue with step 5 but no, I couldn't.
On other days I thought I solved the problems by removing a certain application from autostart.
I am using gnome desktop on a fresh install. I had this problem before with Ubuntu 19 with Unity installed. Account b is a new account created on the fresh install, but some profiles have been copied over such as Firefox and Thunderbird.
any advice?