Disappearing cursor / system won't shut down

Draeconis · 13 Feb 2010 at 22:27

I'm running Ubuntu 9.10 on an old Toshiba Satellite A30, and it's been fine until now, as now when it logs in there's no cursor! I have to blindly open Applications, open a Terminal window, and type;

Code:

update-icon-caches /usr/share/icons

and wave the mouse around to get it back, but it only lasts until I end the session. Next time I turn it on, same issue occurs. Through some research, it seems this problem crops up all the way back to 6.10?

Another issue, though only a minor one, is the machine won't shut down properly. It gets to 'System Halted' and stays there, on. I have to manually power it down.

I couldn't install Ubuntu on it normally either, as the machine suffers from some bizarre issue where I have to hold down a key for it to do anything. To install the system, I used a 9.10 alternative CD in Expert mode, with all the additional options enabled, apart from 'only free software'.

accod · 15 Feb 2010 at 11:54

As a bodge you could add the command you're having to run to your startup commands.

What do you mean by having to hold a key down to get it to do anything?

Draeconis · 15 Feb 2010 at 20:00

How would I add the command to startup?

Well, as an example, with the older Ubuntu releases, when the loading bar moved left and right, it wouldn't move until I pressed a key; when held down it would continue, unless I let go, in which case it would actually stop loading! Bizarre!

accod · 15 Feb 2010 at 22:13

Depends on the version (they might have changed it). Go to System -> Prefs -> Session. Click Add for new startup program and enter a name and the command.

Holding down a key to get it to do anything sounds very strange! Some keyboards have a pause key. Maybe yours is stuck down. Only thing I can think of.