The vertical line cursor, that shows where you're typing - as in this Thunderbird compose window, but also in Notepad (and maybe other
places): can it be made wider?

I don't know if it's just this machine, or Windows 10, but I often can't
see it - I don't mean it disappears, but I often have to peer more
closely at the screen (or shift-arrow so something is highlighted) to
see where it is. (Mainly when posting followups - I hit say uparrow a
lot of times, then lose track of which line it's on.) I _didn't_ have
this problem in W7. (That machine _may_ have a lower resolution so
things are bigger, rather than anything special about W7/W10.)

I'm expecting the answer no, since it's probably different for every
software that uses it, but thought I'd ask in case it _is_ possible and
someone knows how.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I would have written you a shorter letter but I didn't have the time.
- Blaise Pascal in Lettres Provinciales


--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

J. P. ,

Can the | cursor be made wider?

Under my (ancient) OS I see an option to make the cursor wider under

control panel -> accessibility options -> (tab) Display -> Cursor options.-> width

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2025/10/9 10:25:30, R.Wieser wrote:

J. P. ,

Can the | cursor be made wider?

Under my (ancient) OS I see an option to make the cursor wider under

control panel -> accessibility options -> (tab) Display -> Cursor options.-> width

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Thanks! I found it via PC Settings, Ease of Access, Text cursor, Change
the text cursor appearance - just changing it from 1 to 2 has worked
fine. (I presume it's in pixels.)

Unfortunately - it has worked fine in Notepad, but not this Thunderbird
compose editor. Hang on, I'll see if restarting TB works ? no, it
didn't. So one for the TB 'group!

I'll just try one last thing: I notice there something called Use text
cursor indicator, which puts rather alarming purple blobs on either end
of it (you can change the colour) - oh yes, that works but they _are_
rather alarming! I think I'll still ask the TB folk.


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

but I often can't
see it - I don't mean it disappears, but I often have to peer more
closely at the screen (or shift-arrow so something is highlighted) to
see where it is

I foud this option very useful: just pressing Ctrl

https://i.imgur.com/gW27UOE.png

--
/-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ T /-\
-=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- - -=-
........... [ al lavoro ] ...........

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2025/10/9 11:20:45, Ammammata wrote:

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

but I often can't
see it - I don't mean it disappears, but I often have to peer more
closely at the screen (or shift-arrow so something is highlighted) to
see where it is

I foud this option very useful: just pressing Ctrl

https://i.imgur.com/gW27UOE.png

I get "Content not viewable in your region"! Never had that from imgur
before!

But if this is the one that makes rapidly shrinking rings appear around
the cursor, I already have that one - but that's for the _mouse_ cursor,
not the typing one. There is a global one for the width of that - see R.Wieser's post in this thread (my route to it was slightly different - Settings | PC Settings | Ease of Access | Text cursor | Change the text
cursor appearance).

That worked in Notepad and may elsewhere, but not in the Thunderbird
compose editor; for anyone else using that, it's ui.caretWidth in config
editor (if you have to create it, do so as a number not a boolean, and
don't leave it set to 0!).

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"We're plumbing shallows we didn't know existed here" - Jeremy Paxman
(as quizmaster of "University Challenge"), 1998 (when losing team
suddenly put on a spurt by showing knowledge of things like the
Eurovision Song Contest ...)

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In article <10c83e3$2ihu1$3@dont-email.me>, G6JPG@255soft.uk (J. P. Gilliver) wrote:

https://i.imgur.com/gW27UOE.png

I get "Content not viewable in your region"! Never had that from
imgur
before!

That's because imgur have disabled all access to their site from the UK as of September 30th. See: https://help.imgur.com/hc/en-us/articles/41592665292443-Imgur-access-in-the-United-K
ingdom or https://tinyurl.com/5ef67n6a for a short link.

--
Regards
John

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 25/10/09 04:14 AM, John K.Eason wrote:

https://help.imgur.com/hc/en-us/articles/41592665292443-Imgur-access-in- the-United-K
ingdom

Just a FYI:

"The block is linked to the Online Safety Act, which forces platforms to
add strict age checks and content filters. Rather than comply, Imgur
chose to geo-block the UK. That means: Imgur is not down worldwide, as
it only fails in the UK."

--
John C. I filter crossposts, various trolls & dizum.com. Doing this
makes this newsgroup easier to read & more on-topic. Take back the tech companies from India & industry from China.


--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

J. P. Gilliver laid this down on his screen :

But if this is the one that makes rapidly shrinking rings appear around
the cursor, I already have that one - but that's for the _mouse_ cursor,
not the typing one

sorry, my bad :-?

--
/-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ T /-\
-=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- - -=-
........... [ al lavoro ] ...........

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 10/9/25 5:56 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2025/10/9 10:25:30, R.Wieser wrote:

J. P. ,

Can the | cursor be made wider?

Under my (ancient) OS I see an option to make the cursor wider under

control panel -> accessibility options -> (tab) Display -> Cursor options.-> >> width

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Thanks! I found it via PC Settings, Ease of Access, Text cursor, Change
the text cursor appearance - just changing it from 1 to 2 has worked
fine. (I presume it's in pixels.)

Unfortunately - it has worked fine in Notepad, but not this Thunderbird compose editor. Hang on, I'll see if restarting TB works ? no, it
didn't. So one for the TB 'group!

I'll just try one last thing: I notice there something called Use text
cursor indicator, which puts rather alarming purple blobs on either end
of it (you can change the colour) - oh yes, that works but they _are_
rather alarming! I think I'll still ask the TB folk.

Over in the thunderbird newsgroup someone gave the hint to use config editor and change:
alter ui.caretWidth = 3
You may have to make the "number" setting. It did not exist in my system.

--
Linux Mint 22.2, Thunderbird 128.14.0esr, Mozilla Firefox 143.0.4
Alan K.

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Thu, 10/9/2025 8:45 AM, Alan K. wrote:

On 10/9/25 5:56 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2025/10/9 10:25:30, R.Wieser wrote:

J. P. ,

Can the | cursor be made wider?

Under my (ancient) OS I see an option to make the cursor wider under

control panel -> accessibility options -> (tab) Display -> Cursor options.->
width

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Thanks! I found itÿ via PC Settings, Ease of Access, Text cursor, Change
the text cursor appearance - just changing it from 1 to 2 has worked
fine. (I presume it's in pixels.)

Unfortunately - it has worked fine in Notepad, but not this Thunderbird
compose editor. Hang on, I'll see if restarting TB works ? no, it
didn't. So one for the TB 'group!

I'll just try one last thing: I notice there something called Use text
cursor indicator, which puts rather alarming purple blobs on either end
of it (you can change the colour) - oh yes, that works but they _are_
rather alarming! I think I'll still ask the TB folk.

Over in the thunderbird newsgroup someone gave the hint to use config editor and change:
alter ui.caretWidth = 3
You may have to make the "number" setting.ÿÿ It did not exist in my system.

And that's because a "minor theme" to Thunderbird/Firefox, is
pretending you are "independent" of the Window Manager and independent
of the host OS (SChannel or certificate store). It's not a surprise
when this leads to "duplication of controls".

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In article <10c898f$2n9or$1@dont-email.me>, r9jmg0@yahoo.com (John C.) wrote:

*From:* "John C." <r9jmg0@yahoo.com>
*Date:* Thu, 9 Oct 2025 05:19:26 -0700

On 25/10/09 04:14 AM, John K.Eason wrote:

https://help.imgur.com/hc/en-us/articles/41592665292443-Imgur-access -in-the-United-Kingdom

Just a FYI:

"The block is linked to the Online Safety Act, which forces
platforms to add strict age checks and content filters. Rather than
comply, Imgur chose to geo-block the UK.

That means: Imgur is not down worldwide, as it only fails in the UK."

Which is what I said in my comment...

--
Regards
John

--- PyGate Linux v1.0
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)