Ubuntu odd mouse and keyboard behavior when window gains inner focus

This morning on my Ubuntu 10.10 system when I open a window - for example, system->preferences->about me, if I click in to a field such as "work email", I can no longer close the window with the mouse! Clicking the X on the window will not work.

Also, I loose the ability to click on anything else - clicking on the desktop, icons, menus, workspaces, etc. do not work. Even the effect when you hover over a folder on the desktop and that folder highlights - that stops until the window is closed.

If I open this same screen but do not click in to a field, everything is fine - I can close the window with the X and everything else works fine.

Same thing happens with several other windows I tried. Even calculator - I can open it, everything is fine until I click on a button in the calculator - then no ability to click on anything else. Have to Alt-F4 to close the window.

The system is only about a week old from a fresh install (64 bit ubuntu - quad core amd machine).

I uninstalled wine, turned off remote desktop/disabled in startup, also in startup disabled visual assistance, bluetooth, dropbox, klipper. Reboot, no difference.

The only other thing non-standard I see in startup is nvidia.

Using a logitec usb mouse, saitek usb keyboard.

Was working fine yesterday. I can not think of anything I did / installed yesterday.

I switched themse, then went to update manager and saw two x server / x org related updates and installed them, reboot and NOW IT IS FINE!

However, then I re-enabled dropbox, klipper and remote desktop rebooted and the problem is back. Again I disabled and rebooted. Problem is still there!!

So somehow I fixed it at least for a few minutes, but now it is back and I am out of ideas.

Thank you for responding, I did end up figuring it out, though it still does not make sense.

All I had to do was unplug the mouse from the usb port and plug it back in.

It is a logitec wireless laser mouse. The wireless base has a power cord and a usb cord. Pressing the reset buttons on the base and mouse has not impact. I even turned off the mouse and back on and unplugged / replugged power to the base.

Finally I decided to pull the machine out and unplug the base - and plugged it back in. Problem fixed!

I just think it is very strange, because it does not seem like a hardware issue.

I mean, why would opening calculator, clicking on a number then prevent me from being able to click on the close box of the window, or anything else - desktop or system menus? Yet I can still click other buttons within the window!

Anyway at least I figured it out and I know what to do in the future, just very strange.

Sounds weird, indeed.

Have you tried disabling compiz?

Go to "System" -> "Preferences" -> "Appearance" -> Tab "Visual Effects" and select "None".

You could also try to reconfigure metacity and compiz like so:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure metacity compiz

Log in and out again and see if you're still affected.

But be warned: this removes all changes you've made to compiz'/metacity's behaviour (e.g. through ccsm).