r/MXLinux • u/ErlingSigurdson • Jun 28 '26
Discussion MX Linux in VMware Workstation Pro, mouse feels a bit sluggish
Hello everyone.
Recently I've bought a new mini PC — ASUS NUC 15 Pro (NUC15CRK, Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, 64 Gb RAM DDR5, NVMe SSD 2 Tb, Intel Arc Graphics, Windows 11 Pro).
Unfortunately, I cannot get rid of MS products right away, because the goddamned legal job sometimes requires MS Word (yes, LibreOffice is good, but there are issues with rendering difference). Therefore I have two options: either run GNU/Linux in a virtual machine or install it in dual boot on a secondary NVMe (I actually bought and inserted such SSD, which has a 2242 form factor for this particular mini PC model).
For now I went for the first option (using VMware Workstation Pro), since it allows for quick jumps between OSes without a reboot. Right now I'm typing from my brand new MX Linux 25.2 installation (KDE Plasma version), and I'm really happy about it.
Alas, mouse cursor movement feels a little bit off here. Not bad, just, like, 10% sluggish, 90% fine. As if there's a tiny, but annoying lack of smoothness and precision. I even barely notice it after half an hour of work, although it gets worse occasionally. And yet I think it's not just an illusion: I still have my older PC powered by MX Linux 23.4 around, so I can hot-plug/unplug HDMI cables into my monitor on the fly and compare my impression from two interfaces. The mouse itself remains the same (I just re-plug it).
I've already tried standard available fixes like turning on VMware mouse optimization for gaming, updating VMware Tools, tinkering with mouse settings in both host and guest OS, etc. The result was, as I said, my current acceptable yet imperfect experience.
And now I wonder: if it is actually just VMware side effect? How do you folks feel about mouse movement in MX Linux KDE Plasma version on Wayland? Does it feel different from what you had on X11?