Mouse not working on Linux
A mouse that won't click, scroll, or move on Linux is usually a connection, battery, or button-switch issue. Run through these, then test every button live.
Step-by-step fix
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Replug the USB receiver (try another port) or re-pair Bluetooth; replace the battery on a wireless mouse.
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Run the CheckMyMic mouse test — check left, right, middle, scroll and a double-click.
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Clean the optical sensor and try a different surface or mousepad.
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Adjust pointer speed and double-click settings in Linux mouse settings.
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Update the mouse/USB driver and restart Linux.
Frequently asked questions
My double-click registers as one click on Linux.
That's usually a worn button switch. Run the mouse test's double-click check a few times — if it's inconsistent, the switch is failing. As a stopgap, lengthening the double-click speed/window in Linux's mouse settings can buy the switch some time.
The scroll wheel doesn't work on Linux.
Open the mouse test at its scroll pad and look at the recent browser wheel events. If no event registers there, check Linux's scroll settings, browser settings or extensions, and another browser or computer before concluding the encoder is faulty; an event proves the browser received input, but it cannot prove the physical wheel is healthy.
The mouse still misbehaves on Linux after every step — now what?
Test the same mouse on another computer with the CheckMyMic mouse test. Compare the recent browser wheel-event pattern as a clue, remembering that OS/browser settings and event batching can change what the page receives. A fault that follows the mouse across systems is stronger hardware evidence; behavior that disappears elsewhere points back to this machine's port, driver or settings.
My mouse is too fast, too slow, or jumpy on Linux.
Adjust speed and acceleration in your desktop's mouse settings (libinput handles most modern distros). To see whether the hardware is even sending events, run "xinput list" to find the device and "xinput test <id>" to watch raw events — clean events with a jumpy pointer mean a settings problem, missing events mean hardware.