Open L-U-T-i opened 3 weeks ago
Since you're seeing in RealVNC as well, it seems likely to be a server-side issue. Unfortunately, the most likely explanation is that your desktop environment/applications are simply setting a blank cursor.
Could you test with an older build of TigerVNC?
It will be difficult to resolve this without a good way to reproduce it, unfortunately.
I doubt that my desktop (most recent Mate Desktop 1.28) or included apps (noticed it with Mate Desktop's caja, pluma or terminal only, as much as I remember) are setting a blank cursor, because I would notice it also without VNC (I am using the same versions on 1 physical PC and 2 notebooks much more time as on server over VNC, and never ever noticed it).
I've downgraded to tigervnc-1.13.1-11.1 (direct fc39 rebuild for rhel 9) on one server to see what happens.
What I've noticed it that once the cursor disappears, it doesn't reapper at the first occurence where it should change the shape, or next few after (for instance while moving over the text area, on the edge of the window or so...). Also it doesn't reapper after the first mouse click (or, the next few). But, suddenly at one moment, it is back.
I absolutely can't find a pattern...
Many applications often set a blank cursor, so that is not particularly rare. Commonly, when you are typing something.
How did the test go with an earlier version of TigerVNC? And could you test with the TigerVNC that's included in RHEL? That would help us see if it's a build issue or something else.
I haven't spent very much time on a test server (where I've downgraded tigervnc to 1.13.1, as above) in last 2 weeks, but haven't noticed anything such since then. So, I guess something was introduced in between causing that.
And no, it was not happening during write or so, but mainly while opening a new window (like mate desktop's own text editor pluma or file browser caja or terminal, as much as I remember) or switching from one window to another. I am normally not noticing any pointer disappearing during that (on normal login or older vnc sessions), maybe just a cursor shape change or so (or not even that).
My recent builds include PR #1672 (Scale remote screen to window (X11)) and PR #1785 (h264: Use consistent size of scaling buffer), but I don't believe those introduce anything that could lead to that.
I don't think the last Rocky (RHEL) 1.13.1-1 build is significantly different, in particular since also newer Fedora rebuilt 1.13.1-11 doesn't seem to have this issue...
Just happened again on the server with the latest version built 1.40.80 (git https://github.com/TigerVNC/tigervnc/commit/242488d180526e75d4256a82e83c95d27373b464 - 14.8.2024) after right clicking a text file in caja and choosing "Open with pluma".
On 1.13 server haven't noticed that yet, despite working quite a lot there in last few days! So it most probably has to be something related to cursors introduced after 1.13...
Describe the bug I am noticing recently (some months now, I guess - don't remember to see it in 1.13) that from time to time, with no apparent reason (usually when a new window is opened or so... - maybe when the cursor shape should change?), the mouse pointer (cursor) just disappears. It seems it is still there (I can for instance see a change of buttons when mouse over, select some text or even move a window, if lucky to "catch" it without seeing the exact cursor position), it is just not displayed (invisible). In RealVNC viewer, at the same moment, just a small dot cursor is shown, so I guess the source is on the server side.
To Reproduce No obvious way to reproduce - seems to happen sporadically...
Expected behavior Mouse pointer (cursor) is displayed, as on the normal desktop (never noticed that out of vncviewer, so I guess it is not Mate Desktop to be blamed for.
Screenshots I'll try to make some screenshots when it reappears.
Client (please complete the following information):
Server (please complete the following information):
Additional context As said, it seems the server sends something causing TigerVNC to not display the cursor at all, while RealVNC viewer displays it as a small dot only. It lasts some time (some seconds) or maybe until I made a few clicks (still trying to find a pattern...), after everything works as supposed to (until next occasion). While "invisible", the shape should also change (standard cursor / select text / resize a window / move a window...), but this doesn't make the cursor to reappear (until - after a while it suddenly does...).