Mouse pointer in 12.04 LTS is not well-definded, carrying a rectangular cloud of pixels

Does the system have a make and model?
Does the mouse have a make and model?
How does the mouse connect to the system?

The computer Ubuntu 12.04 LTS runs on is a Dell Latitude D 800 laptop, the mouse is a Logitech MouseMan Traveler USB mouse. If the mouse is disconnected, the mousepad shows the same badly formed mouse pointer. So it seems that the mouse driver and not the mouse is the cause of this malfunction.

On 27 jun 2012, at 14:31, actionparsnip wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Does the system have a make and model?
> Does the mouse have a make and model?
> How does the mouse connect to the system?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Why did you not mention it was a laptop?
Why did you not mention the model?
Why did you mention that it was a logitech?

I did not mention it was a laptop and I did not mention the model because I did not know it mattered. I was hoping to find people with similar problems. I mention the make Logitech because you asked for it.

On 27 jun 2012, at 14:56, actionparsnip wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Why did you not mention it was a laptop?
> Why did you not mention the model?
> Why did you mention that it was a logitech?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

It matters dude, if you can give as much detail as possible in future it helps a lot :) How can you find people with similar issues if they don't know the kit you are using....

If you unplug the mouse, wait a few seconds then plug it back in then wait a few seconds, is it ok?

OK, I am very grateful for your help, and perhaps I have not given you the information you expected. I did not want to give unnecessary info, because I still think it is the software. Let me be more precise. I am a scientist, not a computer scientist, but a (retired) mathematician (my homepage is: www.stroeker.nl). I have been using computers (mainframe, PC and Mac) since before1980. So I am not a newcomer to computers in general, but I am for Ubuntu. Of course, I have been checking. I tried the mouse on other computers (Mac and PC) and I used and tried another mouse on the ancient Dell laptop. All to no avail. So, my conclusion is: it is the graphical component of the software. OK? And sorry for not giving you the full picture. So, I am asking the experts on Ubuntu and Linux: could there be something the matter with the mouse driver?

On 27 jun 2012, at 16:51, actionparsnip wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> It matters dude, if you can give as much detail as possible in future it
> helps a lot :) How can you find people with similar issues if they don't
> know the kit you are using....
>
> If you unplug the mouse, wait a few seconds then plug it back in then
> wait a few seconds, is it ok?
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606/+confirm?answer_id=4
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Give as much as you can dude, there is no limit :)

Did the unplug/replug work ok?

Have you tried a different USB port?

I thought I made it clear that I tried all these trivial actions.: unplug/replug did not work, I used both USB ports (there are only two).
Moreover, I would appreciate not to be addressed as dude.

On 27 jun 2012, at 19:16, actionparsnip wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Give as much as you can dude, there is no limit :)
>
> Did the unplug/replug work ok?
>
> Have you tried a different USB port?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

No problem. I call everyone dude, even my mum :)

Try the boot option:

acpi_irq_isa=7

HTH

No, that doesn't work either.

I tried to reinstall 12.04 but was unsuccessful (12.04 was previously updated from 11.10). I downloaded the 12.04-desktop-i386.iso, burned it to a CD and tried to start up from this CD. However, I got the following error message:
"This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU
pae
Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for your CPU."
The CPU of my Dell Latitude D800 is a Pentium M 1.4 GHz.
When I forced quit and restarted I got into the repair mode and then, lo and behold, after a while the mouse pointer was normal! But when I restarted from the HDD the pointer went fuzzy again.
Apart from the deformed mouse pointer I have not noticed any other malfunctioning.

On 27 jun 2012, at 20:41, actionparsnip wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> No problem. I call everyone dude, even my mum :)
>
>
> Try the boot option:
>
> acpi_irq_isa=7
>
> HTH
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606/+confirm?answer_id=8
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

I have got the answer: 12.04 is not (yet) updated for the video card nVidia VN28. See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1543009&page=31 #303

On 28 jun 2012, at 11:45, Roel Stroeker wrote:

> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> You are still having a problem:
> No, that doesn't work either.
>
> I tried to reinstall 12.04 but was unsuccessful (12.04 was previously updated from 11.10). I downloaded the 12.04-desktop-i386.iso, burned it to a CD and tried to start up from this CD. However, I got the following error message:
> "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU
> pae
> Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for your CPU."
> The CPU of my Dell Latitude D800 is a Pentium M 1.4 GHz.
> When I forced quit and restarted I got into the repair mode and then, lo and behold, after a while the mouse pointer was normal! But when I restarted from the HDD the pointer went fuzzy again.
> Apart from the deformed mouse pointer I have not noticed any other malfunctioning.
>
>
> On 27 jun 2012, at 20:41, actionparsnip wrote:
>
>> Your question #201606 on Ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>>
>> Status: Open => Answered
>>
>> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
>> No problem. I call everyone dude, even my mum :)
>>
>>
>> Try the boot option:
>>
>> acpi_irq_isa=7
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> --
>> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
>> know that it is solved:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606/+confirm?answer_id=8
>>
>> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
>> following page to enter your feedback:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/201606
>>
>> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>>
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.