Cursor became a large X, cannot move or resize windows [Solved]

[Charlie Brown]

No, you did it correctly, login as Tom (old user, where there is the issue) then remove that file, either with file manager or via command ..

Alternatively you can (again, when logged in as Tom):

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cp /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml

logout, login (to take effect).

[epitom4]

Edit: I just now saw your comment above. I will try that.

Here is the output from my new user (asterisktom):

asterisktom@thinkPad:~/Desktop
$ ll ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml
total 96K
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 153 Feb 23 10:13 accessibility.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 333 Feb 23 10:14 displays.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 204 Feb 23 10:13 keyboards.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 240 Feb 23 10:13 pointers.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 549 Feb 23 10:13 thunar-volman.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 898 Feb 23 10:16 thunar.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 1.8K Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-appfinder.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 3.0K Feb 23 10:14 xfce4-desktop.xml
-rwxr-xr-x 1 asterisktom asterisktom 14K Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 448 Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-mime-settings.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 848 Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-mixer.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 1.1K Feb 23 15:28 xfce4-notifyd.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 4.7K Feb 23 10:14 xfce4-panel.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 693 Feb 23 10:14 xfce4-power-manager.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 1.1K Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-screensaver.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 1.8K Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-session.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 336 Feb 23 10:13 xfce4-settings-editor.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 5.5K Feb 23 10:14 xfwm4.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 asterisktom asterisktom 1.8K Feb 23 10:13 xsettings.xml
asterisktom@thinkPad:~/Desktop

[Charlie Brown]

Thank you but we don't need that one, already no problem there :)

[epitom4]

OK, I did it. Interestingly that the X cursor is gone. I now have the normal cursor. Windows still won't move.

Writing this from the first user. I will switch back now and check how permissions go.

I do appreciate your help. As soon as I get back from errands I will follow up here.

[Charlie Brown]

This time :

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cp /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xsettings.xml ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xsettings.xml

logout, login.

[epitom4]

I spoke too soon. On my old user the X cursor is there when I click below the Firefox window, but is normal otherwise.

In my new user session (asterisktom) I still do not have permissions to save any work on my photos from the old user files. Is this where chmod comes in? I am afraid of screwing things up. I have a lot of photos in the old partition and material for a book that is due out in a month. I can't use my Gimp under either user, but for different reasons. In the old I can't move the windows so I can see what I am doing, In the new I don't have permission yet to access those photos.

[Charlie Brown]

Normally you can copy (or move) all kinds of data from Tom to asterisktom . Once they're copied / moved into the new place the owner is asterisktom .

In case it asks for authentication (to open other user's directories etc): it's the user's password by default (not root's).

Also if you're happy with the new user, after moving all data you can even remove user Tom finally. You can even rename asterisktom to Tom later (if you like only, not a must) :)

[epitom4]

Thanks a lot for keeping up with the advice. Much appreciated. I decided to do just that: Move all of my files to asterisktom. There were a few photos that were denied so I just screenshotted them and transferred them. The only problem now is the applications. Tricky business, I think. I could just download them again and delete them from the old user.

[epitom4]

One last question: When I turn on the laptop it always opens to the old user, not the new user. How do I set it so that it opens always to the new? I still want to keep the old around because I still have programs there that I need to use for the time being.

[Charlie Brown]

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sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

• If you're having to type the username of asterisktom manually (not being displayed when you click the username box) :
  
  Uncomment this line (simply press Alt+3 and the # will be removed)
  
  greeter-hide-users=
  
  ( ... the one under [SeatDefaults] section, about line 75 , the above similar ones are explanations etc., so scroll down to this section )
  
  and also change it to false:
  

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  greeter-hide-users=false

• Also add this one somewhere under it:
  

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  default-user=asterisktom

If still the same:

It's probably doing that according to User ID sequence, Tom is 1000 , asterisktom is 1001 .We can simply change Tom to 1002 or so (also Tom's Group)


Just on this opportunity: @Adrian would you consider to add such an option in the first tab in MXUM ? "Change User ID", "Change Group ID" (or so) ... Ok I know you don't want to make it too crowded :D . And, yes, it may also require changing the ownership of /home/that_user/... to the new IDs