[Bug]: mouse cursor does not change shape by context (ubuntu 25.10 / Wayland) #464
Description
Version
7.2.4
Host OS Type
Windows
Host OS name + version
Windows 11 Pro, 25H2 build 26200.7462
Host Architecture
x86
Guest OS Type
Linux
Guest Architecture
x86
Guest OS name + version
Ubuntu 25.10
Component
Other
What happened?
Linux guest OS does not render mouse pointer correctly. For example when window is resized then cursor should change from regular pointer to arrows pointer indicating resizing is in progress but ubuntu inside VBox always display regular cursor (but window resizing is working fine):
Other example is when you hover mouse button over the link in web browser: cursor is still regular pointer but it should change shape to "hand" icon:
The problem occurs only on regular ubuntu 25.10 with Gnome (kubuntu with KDE works fine). It is happening after upgrading ubuntu 24.10 to 25.10 (I did not notice problems on 25.04 too but I did not test it fully). In ubuntu 25.10, X was removed and Wayland is now used so I suspect that there is something wrong with combination of VirtualBox VMSVGA and Wayland.
I also tried using ubuntu with VBoxSVGA but this installation is free of cursor issue (however on my computer there are more severe problems with VBoxSVGA so this is not a valid workaround for me).
I tried VMSVGA with different video memory settings or with 3D acceleration enabled but nothing helped.
VirtualBox logs:
VBox.log
VBoxHardening.log
See also capture mutter logs from ubuntu
# logs captured by adding these 2 lines to .config/environment.d/mutter-debug.conf:
# MUTTER_DEBUG=cursor,wayland,input
# G_MESSAGES_DEBUG=all
# logs:
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1366x797, serial=349
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@47 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1374x797, serial=350
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=351 state=resizing|activated, size=1383x804
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=352 state=resizing|activated, size=1386x805
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@43 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1382x797, serial=351
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=353 state=resizing|activated, size=1389x807
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1382x797, serial=353
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=354 state=resizing|activated, size=1391x808
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=355 state=resizing|activated, size=1393x809
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@48 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1390x797, serial=354
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=356 state=resizing|activated, size=1396x810
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1390x797, serial=356
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=357 state=resizing|activated, size=1401x813
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=358 state=resizing|activated, size=1404x815
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@44 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1398x797, serial=357
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=359 state=resizing|activated, size=1405x816
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@49 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1398x814, serial=358
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=360 state=resizing|activated, size=1407x816
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: [wl-shm] wl_buffer@45 wl_shm_format AR24 -> MetaMultiTextureFormat / CoglPixelFormat BGRA_8888_PRE
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying window state for wl_surface#35: size=1406x814, serial=360
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Configuring xdg_toplevel#39 (wl_surface#35): serial=361 state=resizing|activated, size=1409x817
Dec 31 10:31:49 martyq-VirtualBox gnome-shell[2945]: WAYLAND: Applying wl_surface#35 state
How can we reproduce this?
- on windows host install ubuntu 25.10 (x64): https://releases.ubuntu.com/questing/ubuntu-25.10-desktop-amd64.iso and install there guest additions (in VirtualBox set: default VMSVGA, in my case 32MB of video memory. disable 3d acceleration)
- you can also use live CD session without installing ubunty (just "try ubuntu")
- login to ubuntu session
- open any window (for example terminal or file manager) and try to resize window. Expected behaviour of bug: window is being resized but cursor shape is still a regular pointer (expected healthy behaviour: cursor shape should be adjusted to arrows indicating resizing)
- you can also open firefox web browser. Open any page with links and hover mouse over the link. Cursor is still a regular pointer (expected healthy behaviour: mouse cursor should change to "hand" indicating a link), additionally you can click on link to make sure it is valid link
Did you upload all of your necessary log files, screenshots, etc.?
- Yes, I've uploaded all pertinent files to this issue.