[Animats]

Yes.

CTL-ALT-F1

CTL-ALT-F7

This takes you from the graphics environment to a full screen text console and back, which re-initializes the graphics environment. It doesn't affect your running applications.

First reported in 2012.[1] Search for "cursor disappears ubuntu" for the long and broad history of this bug. I see there's been progress on the bug report.[2] Unfortunately, fixing it seems to have broken some other things. But after years of complaints and confusion, effort is being put in on it.

Visualize having to explain this to a CFO whom you're trying to convince to use Linux.

[1] http://askubuntu.com/questions/118001/how-to-restart-only-mi... [2] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video...

[EdHominem]

Just today I had Win10 lock up on a brand new surface. None of the inputs did anything, though the screen remained on and the time changed, etc.

Only holding the power button unreasonably long did anything, and that wasn't anything good.

[pasbesoin]

I've found this approach -- to console and back -- useful for clearing other things, e.g. a custom pointer image in Firefox "sticking" upon some combinations viewing/activity.