Fixing Upside Down Mouse Cursor and Inverted Position on Ubuntu 18.04.1

In this article, we will delve into the issue of an upside-down mouse cursor and inverted position on Ubuntu 18.04.1 and provide detailed solutions to rectify this problem. This issue can be quite frustrating, but with the right guidance, you can easily fix it.

Understanding the Problem

The mouse cursor appearing upside down and the screen position being inverted is a common issue faced by Ubuntu 18.04 users. This can be due to various reasons such as incorrect screen rotation settings or problems with the iio-sensor-proxy package, which is responsible for managing the screen orientation.

Solution 1: Using the xrandr Command

The xrandr command is a powerful tool in the Unix/Linux world that allows you to configure or set your screen resolution and orientation.

1. Open Terminal using Ctrl+Alt+T.
2. Run the following command:

xrandr --output eDP-1 --rotated inverted

In this command, --output specifies the output source, eDP-1 is the default display name for laptops, and --rotated inverted inverts the screen.

After running this command, your screen should return to normal. However, in some cases, you might need to run this command after every startup to maintain the correct orientation.

Next, update and upgrade your system using the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

The sudo command gives you root-level access, apt-get update updates the list of available packages and their versions, and apt-get upgrade installs the newest versions of all packages currently installed on your system.

3. Reboot your system to see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 2: Removing the iio-sensor-proxy Package

The iio-sensor-proxy package is used by GNOME to communicate with the sensor hardware. If there’s a problem with this package, it can cause the screen to be inverted.

1. Open Terminal using Ctrl+Alt+T.
2. Run the following command:

sudo apt-get remove iio-sensor-proxy

This command removes the iio-sensor-proxy package from your system.

3. Reboot your system to see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 3: Alternative to Solution 2

As an alternative to Solution 2, you can use the apt remove command to remove the iio-sensor-proxy package.

1. Open Terminal using Ctrl+Alt+T.
2. Run the following command:

sudo apt remove iio-sensor-proxy

This command removes the iio-sensor-proxy package from your system.

Next, update, upgrade, and reboot your system using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo reboot

After rebooting, check if everything is back to normal.

Conclusion

The upside-down mouse cursor and inverted position can be a tricky issue to solve on Ubuntu 18.04.1. However, by using the xrandr command or removing the iio-sensor-proxy package, you can easily fix this problem. Remember to update and upgrade your system regularly to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade