Description of problem: When using vncviewer in full screen mode, xscreensaver blanking the screen is disastrous because the mouse seems to "disappear". By that I mean that wiggling the mouse will not unblank the screen (I have to press a key), and once the screen is unblanked there is no mouse pointer! Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): xscreensaver-4.18-1 vnc-4.0-6 How reproducible: 100% Steps to Reproduce: 1. Run 'vncserver', either on localhost or on another machine 2. Connect to it with 'vncviewer' 3. Press F8 and enable 'Full screen' 4. Wait for xscreensaver to save screen Actual results: Cannot use mouse any more. Expected results: Normal mouse usage.
This still happens with vnc-4.0-8 and xscreensaver-4.18-4 on FC3
This still happens with vnc-4.1.1-10 and xscreensaver-^-4.21-4 on FC4 More than that, this happens if a screensaver activates on the vnc server side. I use vncviewer to connect (via SSH) to my Windows-XP system at work. If I am in full-screen mode *AND* the WXP screensaver activates, the mouse cursor will disappear. I suspect that it is still there as moving the mouse and pressing F8 causes the VNC menu to move around the screen. I can go to another login via ALT-CTL-F2 and kill vncviewer. This does *NOT* bring back the mouse, though. If I knew how, I might be able to logout using just keystrokes (anyone know how?) and that would get the mouse back (with the X reset).
See also bug #106552.
Just found a workaround that doesn't require restarting X, if you can still use the keyboard (or ALT-CTL-F2). Just 'killall xscreensaver' and I hope your mouse comes back as mine just did (FC3, xscreensaver-4.18-4, vnc-4.0-8). This is with the client (vncviewer-side) xscreensaver blanking (not locking), and not the remote side (which is, incidentally, running FC3, xscreensaver-4.14-5, vnc-server-4.0-5). Thanks for tracking this down to xscreensaver, because, as noted in Bug #106552, comment 5, xscreensaver-4.18+ doesn't actually blank the screen (so no clue it was even running). Seems like it should give the mouse back when it fails though..
Killing xscreensaver also killed X thereafter with a "Fatal server error" ("signal 11"), but I was able to reliably get my mouse back after 1) 'killall vncviewer' and then 2) 'xscreensaver-command -activate'. That is, start it again so it can do whatever it does with the mouse, then it will hand it off appropiately when deactivating (when the fullscreen vncviewer isn't running).
This bug is duplicate of Bug #106552. You can find patch there
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 106552 ***