Problem

In order to be able to explain this, I have made up two terms:

• actual pointer location: where the underlying pointer is located,
• visual pointer location: where the pointer is visible on the screen.

The problem is that my pointer won’t move past a certain point, let’s call it 3 mm, at the left edge of my screen. To put it another way, the visual pointer location stops moving once you move the actual pointer location past a certain point at the left edge.

The actual pointer location still moves, though. I can tell this because, if I move the actual pointer location up, for example, and click, I can trigger an icon in the Unity Launcher or click the window close button.

To try to give you some idea visually, see this animated gif which was made using a screen-casting program. (I cannot embed animated gifs so it is a link.) You can see the pointer move to the far left, up a bit, and then right again.

https://s21.postimg.org/wvu2zo4k7/image.gif

But what I actually saw on my screen when making this was the pointer (the visual pointer location) stopping where it is in image labelled with a red 1 and reappearing again a few seconds later where it is in image labelled with a red 2. (I cannot embed images because I don’t have enough reputation so it is a link!)

https://s24.postimg.org/7aypy8a39/new.jpg

Setup

• Gigabyte Brix, GA-BACE-3160.
• I currently have Ubuntu 16.04.2 installed.
• I also experienced this problem earlier today on 16.10.
• I installed 16.04.2 hoping that it would fix it but it did not.
• I did not experience this problem with 16.04.1.
• I have installed and used Intel Graphics Tool for Linux OS; after using it the first time the problem went away but there were many problems with the mouse pointer, like weird flashing trails that stayed for a long time and black artefacts around the pointer. After the reboot, the problem returned. As far as Intel Graphics Tool for Linux OS is concerned, everything is up-to-date.

I can only surmise that there is a difference between 16.04.1 and 16.04.2 that is relevant.

Other

This error:

W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_01.bin for module i915

– was returned when I first ran:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I think that this problem is similar to the one described here – Mouse pointer freezing at left edge of screen in 16.10 – but that post’s answer doesn’t fix the problem.

I do not think it is a Unity Launcher problem because I used Unity Tweak Tool to move the Launcher to the bottom of the screen and the pointer still would not display at the left edge.

The pointer displays properly on the top, bottom and right edges of the screen.

Unless I am mistaken, coincidental with the problem above, Bluetooth now connects and appears fine in every respect except that it won’t actually send files/audio. (Does this indicate that it might have something to do with a kernel upgrade?)

Please say if there is any further information I can provide that might help to find an answer.

Update, partial resolution

I tried the suggestion (see here) that I see if I still have the problem using an older kernel. I did. It made no difference. So I gave up for the time being.

Recently, after upgrading to kernel 4.8.0-53.56~16.04.1 (I sincerely believe that is what triggered it but I cannot say for certain) two things happened:

1. The DVI output is a black screen (but there is output because if you pull the cable out, the monitor advises that there is no input).
2. Using the VGA output works and the problem with the pointer has stopped!

This is all very weird to me. I haven’t tried to work out why this happening; it is beyond my knowledge to even know what to start searching for. I’m posting this in case it helps someone to work out what is going on.

Please say if there is any further information I can provide that might help understand what it going on.

Update, still a problem with 17.10 on DVI

I am now on a fresh install of 17.10 and this is still a problem when I use the DVI connection.