I'm a recent xfce convert. I do understand how all this stuff works, though.

Also, I'm very left-handed.

After installing xfce (mythbuntu 11.10), and reversing my mouse buttons, as I have done in every OS since... well, since mice existed, I began to install the apps I usually use. At some point, I <ctrl><alt>F1'd my way to a command line for some reason, and when I came back, my mouse buttons had reset themselves to left-button: prime, right-button: secondary. I was not able to change them again after that for several days.
- M$ wireless usb mouse
- also have a logitech ergo keyboard with a mouse receiver, but no mouse attached, as that mouse is hideously right-handed

After suffering for a few days, I decided to see if there was some issue with the mouse, so I unplugged it and plugged in a wired mouse I have laying around. I was able to reverse my mouse buttons again, and, when I plugged the M$ mouse back in to check it out, the buttons were reversed and I was ok.

I have been ok for the past few days, until this morning when I again started a cmd line session, and returned to find my mouse buttons un-reversed.

When I look at the .config/.../pointers.xml file, it says
- <property name="RightHanded" type="bool" value="false"/>
for each of the mouse devices it finds (the M$ mouse, the logitech receiver, and, if attached, the wired mouse)

Am I mis-reading this, or does that indicate that the mouse is 'not right-handed'?

I have checked the ownership and permissions of the path and files related to session settings, and there are no issues there.

I can open the mouse settings application and click the 'left handed' selector for any and all of the pointer devices and it is simply ignored.

I'm a little surprised that I haven't found any other mention of this, either here or in a general search for terms like 'xfce cannot reverse mouse buttons'.

I'm perfectly willing to accept it if there's pebkac involved, but I can't for the life of me figure out what is happening here, for my settings to be silently ignored.

Thanks in advance for any advise anyone might have on this.

jdg

p.s.: I have put this in installation, as it happened immediately after I re-installed my system. If it should be in the 'desktop'

sub-forum, please feel free to let me know or move it.  Tks.

Update: I forgot to mention, in the mouse setting applet, the M$ mouse is listed twice, though it is only listed once in the pointers.xml file. Neither of the items in the settings applet will accept changing to left handed.