If you’re facing issues with your USB mouse in Ubuntu, it might not necessarily be the mouse driver at fault, as Linux kernels usually come with generic mouse drivers built in. However, if you suspect it’s a driver issue or want to reset any configurations, here are the steps you can take using the command line:
- Identifying the Mouse Device:First, plug in your USB mouse, and then list the USB devices connected to your computer using:
lsusb
You should see an entry related to your mouse. Take note of the ID, which looks like
XXXX:XXXX. - Removing the Driver:The
usbhiddriver usually manages USB mice. You can unload it using thermmodcommand. This will temporarily disconnect all USB input devices, so be sure you have another way to input commands (like via SSH) if necessary:sudo rmmod usbhid
If you only want to reset the driver for a specific device, this might not be the best route, but it’s useful if you want a clean slate for all USB input devices.
- Reinserting the Driver:After removing, you can reload the driver using the
modprobecommand:sudo modprobe usbhid
This should detect and initialize all USB input devices, including your mouse.
- Checking for Errors:If you suspect there are issues with the mouse or its drivers, you can check the system logs for relevant messages:
dmesg | tail
Look for any error or warning messages related to
usbhidor the specific ID of your mouse. - Alternative:
xinput:If you’re using a desktop environment with an X server, you can use thexinpututility to list and manage input devices:- List devices:
xinput list
- If you identify the mouse in the list and want to reset it, you can disable and then re-enable it. Replace
IDwith the id of your mouse from the list:xinput --disable ID
xinput --enable ID
- List devices:
Remember, if your mouse is still not working, it’s also a good idea to try it on another computer, ensure the physical connection is secure, try a different USB port, or consider whether there might be an issue with the hardware itself.