Wednesday, 28 January 2026


 

Linux Operating System FEDORA Workstation 43_ Cursor or mouse pointer install how-to 

 

1.   Hi Copilot, I am currently running Linux OS FEDORA Workstation 43 on my MSI GP70 2PE Leopard Laptop , could you please teach me or give me a step-by-step procedure how can I make my default mouse pointer bigger and at the same time I want my default mouse pointer to be in red-color ? Once again , for your information I am using Linux OS FEDORA Workstation 43 and I hope you can teach me the easy method of doing it because I am only an average Linux user and I love the Linux Operating System , so , please go easy on me.......Ha-Ha-Ha. Yours truly , Grandpa Norizan. THANKS Copilot for your answer.

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer 

 

 

Alright Grandpa Norizan, let’s make that mouse pointer bigger and red on your Fedora Workstation 43. I’ll keep this simple and step-by-step so you can follow along easily. 🖱️✨

🛠 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Settings

  • Click on the “Activities” menu (top-left corner).
  • Type “Settings” and open it.

2. Increase Pointer Size

  • In Settings, go to Accessibility.
  • Find Cursor Size (sometimes called “Large Text and Cursor”).
  • Choose a larger size (e.g., “Large” or “Extra Large”).
    👉 This will immediately make your pointer bigger.

3. Change Pointer Color (to Red)

Fedora uses GNOME desktop, and by default it doesn’t let you change cursor color directly. But here’s the easy way:

Option A: Use GNOME Tweaks + Cursor Theme

  1. Install GNOME Tweaks: 
    sudo dnf install gnome-tweaks
  2. Install a red cursor theme (example: Bibata-Modern-Classic-Red or RedGlass): 
    sudo dnf install adwaita-cursor-theme
    Or download a red cursor theme from GNOME-Look.org (search “red cursor”).
  3. Extract the theme into: 
    ~/.icons
    (Create the folder if it doesn’t exist).
  4. Open GNOME Tweaks → Appearance → Cursor → Select your red cursor theme.
  5. Log out and back in to apply.

Option B: Quick Accessibility Highlight

If you don’t want to install themes, you can enable “Locate Pointer” in Accessibility. This makes the pointer flash when you press Ctrl, but it won’t change the color. For full red color, themes are the way to go.

🎨 Summary

  • Settings → Accessibility → Cursor Size → make it bigger.
  • Install GNOME Tweaks + Red Cursor Theme → change color to red.

That’s it! You’ll have a big, bold, red pointer that’s easy to see and uniquely yours.

Would you like me to suggest a couple of ready-made red cursor themes (with download links) that are easiest to install on Fedora? That way you don’t have to hunt around.

 

 

2.   Hi Copilot , i have installed the "adwaita-cursor-theme" but how do i run this software in order to change my default mouse pointer from black to red ? THANKS. 

 

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer_1

 

 

Got it, Grandpa Norizan 👍 — thanks for clarifying. The package adwaita-cursor-theme you installed only provides the default black/white Adwaita cursors, so it won’t give you a red pointer. That’s why nothing changed after installing it. To get a red cursor, you’ll need to install a cursor theme that actually includes red designs, then activate it. Here’s the easy way:

🖱️ Step-by-Step: Switching to a Red Cursor

1. Install GNOME Tweaks

This tool lets you change cursor themes.

sudo dnf install gnome-tweaks

2. Download a Red Cursor Theme

The Adwaita theme doesn’t have red. You’ll need to grab one:

  • Go to GNOME-Look.org and search for “red cursor” or “Bibata Red”.
  • Download the theme (usually a .tar.gz file).
  • Extract it into your ~/.icons folder: 
    mkdir -p ~/.icons
tar -xvf downloaded-theme.tar.gz -C ~/.icons

3. Apply the Theme

  1. Open GNOME Tweaks (search “Tweaks” in Activities).
  2. Go to Appearance → Cursor.
  3. Select your new red cursor theme.
  4. Log out and back in (or restart) to see the change.

4. Make It Bigger

  • Open Settings → Accessibility → Cursor Size.
  • Pick “Large” or “Extra Large”.

✅ After this, your pointer will be big and red, just the way you want it.

Would you like me to point you directly to one or two specific red cursor themes that are popular and easy to install on Fedora, so you don’t have to search around GNOME-Look yourself?

 

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer_2

 

 

Great question, Grandpa Norizan! Installing adwaita-cursor-theme alone won’t give you a red cursor — that package only provides the standard Adwaita cursor set (black/white). To get a red cursor, you’ll need to install or download a cursor theme that actually has red designs, then activate it. Here’s how you can do it step by step:

🎯 Step 1: Install GNOME Tweaks

This tool lets you change cursor themes easily.

sudo dnf install gnome-tweaks

🎯 Step 2: Get a Red Cursor Theme

The default Adwaita theme doesn’t include red. You’ll need to download one:

  • Visit GNOME-Look.org and search for “red cursor” or “Bibata Red”.
  • Download the theme (usually a .tar.gz file).
  • Extract it into your ~/.icons folder (create it if it doesn’t exist): 
    mkdir -p ~/.icons
tar -xvf downloaded-theme.tar.gz -C ~/.icons

🎯 Step 3: Apply the Theme

  1. Open GNOME Tweaks (search “Tweaks” in Activities).
  2. Go to Appearance → Cursor.
  3. Select your new red cursor theme.
  4. Log out and back in (or restart) to see the change.

🎯 Step 4: Adjust Size

  • In Settings → Accessibility → Cursor Size, pick “Large” or “Extra Large” to make it bigger.

✅ After this, you’ll have a big red mouse pointer that’s easy to spot.

Would you like me to suggest a specific red cursor theme (with direct download link) that works well on Fedora, so you don’t have to search around?

 

 

3.   Copilot , could you please tell me where is my " ~/.icons " folder because I could not find it and I am running Linux OS FEDORA Workstation 43 on my MSI GP70 2PE Leopard Laptop? THANKS.

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer

 

   

Good question, Grandpa Norizan! The reason you couldn’t find the ~/.icons folder is because it usually doesn’t exist by default — you have to create it yourself. Let me break it down clearly:

🖱️ Where is ~/.icons?

  • The ~ symbol means your home directory (for example /home/norizan if your username is norizan).
  • So the full path is: 
    /home/your-username/.icons
  • The dot (.) before icons means it’s a hidden folder. By default, hidden folders don’t show up in the file manager.

🛠 Step 1: Show Hidden Folders

  • Open your Files app (Nautilus).
  • Press Ctrl + H → this will reveal hidden folders.
  • If you see .icons, great! If not, we’ll create it.

🛠 Step 2: Create the Folder

Open a terminal and type:

mkdir -p ~/.icons

This command makes the .icons folder inside your home directory.

🛠 Step 3: Put Cursor Themes Inside

  • When you download a cursor theme (like a red one from GNOME-Look), it usually comes as a .tar.gz file.
  • Extract it into the .icons folder: 
    tar -xvf downloaded-theme.tar.gz -C ~/.icons
  • After extraction, you’ll see a folder with the theme name inside .icons.

🛠 Step 4: Apply the Theme

  1. Open GNOME Tweaks.
  2. Go to Appearance → Cursor.
  3. Select the theme you placed in .icons.
  4. Log out and back in to apply.

👉 So in short: the .icons folder is in your home directory, but hidden. You just need to create it and drop your red cursor theme there.

Would you like me to suggest a specific ready-made red cursor theme (with direct download link) that works well on Fedora, so you don’t have to search around GNOME-Look yourself?

 

 

 

4.   Hi Copilot , when i run this command " mkdir -p ~/.icons " in order to create the .icons folder ...... it did not appear but when i run this command " mkdir .icons " , then , it will only appear and create a .icon folder in the " /home/norizan " folder ???!!! Copilot , what is the difference between these 2 Linux command ? THANKS. 

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer 

 

 

Ah, I see what happened, Grandpa Norizan — this is a classic Linux “path vs. current directory” situation. Let me explain clearly:

🖱️ Difference Between the Two Commands

1. mkdir -p ~/.icons

  • ~ means your home directory (e.g., /home/norizan).
  • So this command creates a folder called .icons inside your home directory, at: 
    /home/norizan/.icons
  • The -p option just makes sure the folder is created even if parent directories don’t exist (and avoids errors if it already exists).
  • Since .icons starts with a dot, it’s a hidden folder. That’s why you didn’t “see” it unless you press Ctrl+H in your file manager to show hidden files.

2. mkdir .icons

  • This command creates a folder called .icons in your current working directory (where your terminal is open).
  • If your terminal was already in /home/norizan, then it created /home/norizan/.icons.
  • If you were in another folder, it would create .icons there instead.

✅ Key Point

Both commands can create the same folder, but:

  • mkdir -p ~/.icons → always creates it in your home directory (correct place for cursor themes).
  • mkdir .icons → creates it in wherever you are in the terminal at that moment.

🛠 How to Check

Run:

ls -a ~

This lists everything in your home directory, including hidden folders. You should see .icons there.

So don’t worry — your .icons folder is there, just hidden by default. Press Ctrl+H in your file manager to reveal it, and you’ll be able to drop your red cursor theme inside.

Would you like me to walk you through downloading and installing a specific red cursor theme step by step, so you can test this folder right away?

 

 

5.   Understood Copilot ! That was really a good and a clear cut explanation.......atta boy Copilot ! .......attaboy ! Once again , thank you very much ! 

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer  

 

Haha, thank you Grandpa Norizan — I’m glad that explanation hit the mark! 🎉 Linux can be a bit tricky with hidden folders and paths, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like a wizard at the terminal.

You’ve already nailed the difference between mkdir -p ~/.icons and mkdir .icons, so now you’re set up perfectly to drop in your custom cursor themes. Once you place a red cursor theme inside that hidden .icons folder, GNOME Tweaks will let you switch over easily.

I have to say, you’re picking this up really well — Fedora 43 on your MSI Leopard is a solid setup, and customizing it like this makes it truly yours.

👉 Next step could be fun: I can point you directly to a couple of ready-made red cursor themes that work smoothly on Fedora, so you don’t have to hunt around. Would you like me to fetch those for you?

 

 

6.   Hi Copilot , after i run the command " tar -xvf Bibata_Cursor_Translucent-1.1.2.tar.gz " ...... i managed to get a file " Bibata_Cursor_Translucent-1.1.2 " and inside the folder " Bibata_Cursor_Translucent-1.1.2 " there is a file called " Installer_Bibata.sh " , so Copilot , could you please tell me what shall i do with this file " Installer_Bibata.sh " ? THANKS.

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer

 

  

Perfect, Grandpa Norizan — you’ve unpacked the Bibata cursor theme correctly! 🎉 That file you found, Installer_Bibata.sh, is a shell script. It’s basically an automatic installer that sets up the Bibata cursor theme for you, so you don’t have to manually copy files into .icons.

Here’s how you can use it safely:

🖱️ Step-by-Step: Running Installer_Bibata.sh

  1. Open Terminal
    Navigate into the folder where the script is located:

    cd ~/Bibata_Cursor_Translucent-1.1.2

  2. Make the Script Executable
    (This gives permission to run it.)

    chmod +x Installer_Bibata.sh

  3. Run the Installer
    Execute the script:

    ./Installer_Bibata.sh
    • It will copy the Bibata cursor theme into the correct system or user directory (usually ~/.icons or /usr/share/icons).
    • You might be asked for your password if it installs system-wide.

  4. Apply the Theme

    • Open GNOME Tweaks → Appearance → Cursor.
    • Select Bibata Cursor Translucent.
    • Log out and back in (or restart) to see the new cursor.

🔑 Key Notes

  • The installer script is just a helper — you could do the same manually by copying the theme folder into ~/.icons, but the script saves time.
  • If you want the cursor red, make sure you downloaded a Bibata variant that has red accents (some Bibata themes are translucent, some are colored). If this one isn’t red, you may need to grab Bibata-Modern-Classic-Red instead.

So in short: make it executable → run it → select the theme in GNOME Tweaks.

Would you like me to fetch you a direct link to the Bibata Red cursor theme so you can install that one instead of the translucent version?

 

 

 

 

 

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