Sunday, 16 November 2025

DEBIAN 13 Linux _ Make the cursor bigger and at the same time change it to RED COLOR

 

Hi Copilot , could you please teach me or give me a step-by-step procedure on how can i change my DEBIAN 13 default mouse pointer to RED COLOR and at the same time i want it to be BIGGER AND LARGER ? By the way Copilot , since it is a Linux Operating System , could you please teach me the easy way of doing it ? Doing that on a Windows machine is much much easier and i hope DEBIAN 13 should be the same ! THANKS Copilot !


MICROSOFT  Copilot  Answer


Changing cursor color and size in Debian (GNOME), the easy way

You can make the cursor bigger in a few clicks, and you can make it red by switching to a red cursor theme. Below are simple, step-by-step options using Settings, Tweaks, and terminal commands.

Make the cursor bigger (GUI method)

  • Open Settings: Click the system menu → Settings.
  • Go to Accessibility: Find “Accessibility” in the sidebar.
  • Adjust Cursor size: Move the “Cursor Size” slider to Large or the size you prefer. This immediately enlarges the pointer in GNOME. FOSTips YouTube

Make the cursor bigger (terminal method)

If you prefer commands, use GNOME’s gsettings:

  • Set a larger size:

    gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48

    Replace 48 with the size you want (e.g., 24, 32, 64). This works across GNOME-based distros including Debian. Log out/in if it doesn’t apply immediately. FOSTips

Change the cursor to red (install a red cursor theme)

GNOME doesn’t recolor the default cursor; you switch to a theme that includes red variants.

  • Find a red cursor theme: Popular options are available on trusted theme sites (search for “red cursor theme GNOME”, e.g., Bibata-Red or Volantes-Red).
  • Install the theme:
    • Per-user: Put the extracted theme folder into ~/.icons (create the folder if it doesn’t exist).
    • System-wide (requires sudo): Put it into /usr/share/icons.
  • Apply the theme:
    • Install GNOME Tweaks (sudo apt install gnome-tweaks).
    • Open Tweaks → Appearance → Cursor → select your red theme.
    • Log out/in if needed for full effect.

Change cursor theme via terminal (optional)

  • Apply theme by name:

    gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme 'YourRedThemeName'

    Log out/in if the change doesn’t show everywhere immediately.

Tips and troubleshooting

  • Theme not showing: Ensure the folder contains a proper index.theme and is placed in ~/.icons or /usr/share/icons with correct permissions.
  • Mixing size and color: Set the red theme first, then adjust size via Settings or gsettings so the large size applies to the chosen theme.
  • Wayland vs X11: Theme changes generally work on both; a log-out/in is often needed for all apps to pick up the new cursor.

Quick recap

  • Easiest size change: Settings → Accessibility → Cursor Size. FOSTips YouTube
  • Red color: Install a red cursor theme, then select it in GNOME Tweaks (or with gsettings).
  • Command-line: gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48 and gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme 'ThemeName'.
  • Mouse behavior tweaks: Additional mouse settings (speed, primary button, etc.) are under Settings and Tweaks. VITUX

Sources: FOSTips YouTube VITUX




Hi Copilot , when you taught me the "terminal method" of changing the mouse cursor from small to a larger/bigger size , you gave me a command that look something like this " gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48 " . My question is , will this Linux command work when my DEBIAN 13 is installed with respect to the MATE DESKTOP ? To the best of my knowledge , the Linux command that you gave me is only useful or it will only work , if i have a DEBIAN 13 installed with the GNOME DESKTOP ? Copilot , please correct me if i am wrong ? Or is it possible that Linux command " gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48 " CAN ALSO BE USED FOR "MATE DESKTOP" AND "GNOME DESKTOP" ? Copilot , could you please shed some light on this matter ? THANKS. 


MICROSOFT  Copilot  Answer


Quick Answer: You are correct — the command gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-size 48 is designed for GNOME. It does not apply directly to MATE, because MATE uses its own configuration system (mate-control-center and dconf under org.mate.*). To change cursor size in MATE, you need to adjust settings through MATE’s Appearance preferences or use dconf keys specific to MATE.

Why the GNOME command doesn’t apply to MATE

  • GNOME desktop: Uses the schema org.gnome.desktop.interface. That’s why the gsettings command works perfectly there FOSTips.
  • MATE desktop: Forked from GNOME 2, but it has its own schemas. Cursor settings are stored under org.mate.interface, not org.gnome.desktop.interface.

So if you run the GNOME command inside MATE, it won’t change anything because MATE doesn’t read GNOME’s schema.

Correct way for MATE desktop

Here’s how you can enlarge the cursor in Debian 13 with MATE:

GUI method (easy way)

  1. Open Control Center: Go to System → Preferences → Look and Feel → Appearance.
  2. Select the “Theme” tab: Click Customize.
  3. Go to the “Pointer” tab: Choose a cursor theme that supports larger sizes.
  4. Apply changes: The cursor should update immediately.

Terminal method (MATE-specific)

You can use dconf or gsettings with MATE’s schema:

gsettings set org.mate.interface cursor-size 48

This is the equivalent command for MATE. Notice the schema name: org.mate.interface instead of org.gnome.desktop.interface.

Changing cursor theme (color + size)

  • Install a red cursor theme: Place it in ~/.icons or /usr/share/icons.
  • Apply in MATE: Use Appearance → Customize → Pointer to select the red theme.
  • Combine with size setting: After selecting the theme, run the MATE-specific gsettings command to enlarge it.

Key Takeaways

  • GNOME command only works in GNOME.
  • MATE has its own schema (org.mate.interface).
  • To make the cursor red and larger in MATE:
    • Install a red cursor theme.
    • Select it in Appearance → Pointer.
    • Adjust size with gsettings set org.mate.interface cursor-size 48.

Would you like me to give you a step-by-step Debian 13 MATE guide (GUI + terminal) specifically for installing and applying a red cursor theme, so you can get both the color and size changes in one go?




Copilot , i follow your step-by-step for the DEBIAN 13 MATE DESKTOP .......... the GUI METHOD ......... and it really works ......... i manage to make to make my DEBIAN 13 Linux cursor bigger .......... but this time .......... how can i convert the mouse cursor to RED COLOR after i am very happy with the cursor size ........... as usual Copilot ......... the easy method please ......... Ha-Ha-Ha........ I am only an average Linux user ........ THANKS Copilot .


MICROSOFT  Copilot  Answer


Perfect — glad the size tweak worked for you 🎉. Now let’s make that cursor red in MATE the easy way. Unlike Windows, Linux doesn’t let you “repaint” the default cursor directly; instead, you switch to a cursor theme that already has red variants. Here’s the simple path:

🖱️ Easy way to get a red cursor in Debian 13 MATE

Step 1: Install a red cursor theme

  • Go to a trusted theme site like GNOME-Look.org and search for “red cursor theme” (examples: Bibata-Red, Volantes-Red, Oxygen-Red).
  • Download the theme archive (usually .tar.gz or .zip).

Step 2: Put the theme in the right folder

  • For your user only:
    Create a folder if it doesn’t exist → ~/.icons
    Then extract the theme folder into ~/.icons.
  • For system-wide use (requires sudo):
    Extract into /usr/share/icons.

Step 3: Apply the theme in MATE

  1. Open Control Center → Appearance.
  2. Click Customize → Pointer.
  3. Select the red cursor theme you installed.
  4. Close the window — the cursor should change immediately.

Step 4: Keep the size you liked

  • Since you already enlarged the cursor, MATE will keep that size when you switch themes.
  • If it resets, just re-run: 
    gsettings set org.mate.interface cursor-size 48
    (replace 48 with your preferred size).

✅ Quick recap

  • Download a red cursor theme.
  • Extract it into ~/.icons or /usr/share/icons.
  • Select it via Appearance → Customize → Pointer.
  • Adjust size again if needed with the MATE command.

That’s it — no complicated hacks, just a theme swap.

👉 Do you want me to suggest a specific red cursor theme that’s lightweight and beginner-friendly, so you don’t have to dig around GNOME-Look yourself?

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