Enable Cursor Blinking in Ubuntu for Better Accessibility
Cursor blinking in Ubuntu turns your text cursor into a flashing line so you can spot it much faster on your screen. This visual cue helps you track where your typing appears, which makes reading your text a lot easier if you have low vision.
You can turn on this blinking feature in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer versions with just a few clicks in the settings menu. Head to the System Settings panel, open the Accessibility section, and look for the typing settings to switch the blinking cursor on right away.
Go to Settings , then Accessibility, and under Typing, toggle Cursor Blinking to On. You can also adjust the blinking speed with the slider. This feature helps make the text insertion point easier to see.
How to turn on or off cursor blinking in Ubuntu Linux
The System Settings application manages cursor blinking in Ubuntu Linux. This setting change helps track the text cursor better while typing, making work smoother. Adjusting the blink rate takes only a few moments.
Adjusting the blink rate takes only a few moments.
Ubuntu Linux keeps most configurations in the System Settings panel. Everything from system preferences to user management and software updates lives inside this central hub.
Alternatively, click on the System menu in the top-right corner of the desktop workspace.
From the System menu, select Settings, as shown in the screenshot below.
In the Settings app, click on the Accessibility tile to open that section.
In the System Settings > Accessibility panel, look under Typing and select Cursor Blinking, which is highlighted below.
The Cursor Blinking window controls whether the feature remains active. Move the Cursor Blinking toggle to the On position to make the cursor flash. This visibility enhancement helps track the cursor during fast typing sessions.
To disable it, move the button to the Off position.
Once enabled, use the Speed slider to adjust how quickly the cursor blinks.
The configuration process is complete, and the Settings app can now be closed.
Conclusion:
- Enabling cursor blinking can be helpful for users with poor vision, making it easier to locate the keyboard cursor in a text field.
- Ubuntu Linux offers a centralized location for adjusting accessibility settings, including the cursor blinking feature.
- Users can easily toggle the cursor blinking on or off and adjust the blinking speed according to their preferences through the System Settings panel.
- This accessibility feature, along with others like increasing the mouse pointer size and enabling the pointer locator, aims to improve the user experience for individuals with visual challenges.
Why does my cursor keep blinking?
This flickering can sometimes occur if displays are set to use more than 256 colors. On Windows, resolve this by opening Control Panel, selecting Mouse, and clearing the 'Shadow select pointer' option on the Pointers tab.
How do I get rid of the blinking cursor?
If the cursor continues blinking, particularly inside terminal windows, modifying the keyboard blink rate property to 'none' resolves the behavior. Relaunching the affected application may be necessary afterwards.
How do I force Ubuntu to boot into recovery mode?
Restart the computer immediately. Before the boot splash screen appears, press the Shift or Esc key (specific keys vary by hardware manufacturer) to open the GRUB boot menu. Choosing recovery mode from the advanced options boots the main operating system successfully.
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Richard
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Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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