[Resolved] AutoMoveWindows not affecting VM's since 6.0

[DdB]

Hi,
I am using vbox since its version 3 (on different hosts, now on debian stretch only).
On 5.x release, i found it very convenient to have VM's open on a separate workspace automatically, which was handled by configuring the gnome extension AutoMoveWindows accordingly.
On 6.x release, something changed. The virtualbox GUI still gets moved automatically, but the VM's are handled differently. Everyone of them is handled separately (separate icon on gnome panel) which no only clutters the UI, but also the VM's no longer redirect to their workspace automatically. From what i could gather, all that would be needed is a *.desktop file matching the way, vbox uses to open virtual machines, and to reconfigure AutoMoveWindows accordingly. But i have not been able to discern, how VM's are handled properly by vbox 6.x
A helpful hint would be greatly appreciated!

[socratis]

Before 6.0.0, "VirtualBox" was responsible for running the VirtualBox Manager *and* running the VMs. This has changed with 6.0.0 due to security reasons. Now "VirtualBox" is responsible for running the VirtualBox Manager, while there's a new executable, "VirtualBoxVM" which is the VM-runner. You might have to adjust your setup accordingly...

[DdB]

Thank you @socratis. That piece of information helped me to resolve it, even though not by using auto-move-windows.
Please mark as solved.

in case, someone else comes through this:
There is the option to manipulate VBox (which is a shell script where both programs actually redirect to).
I did not do that, because i already have an infrastructure in place to keep track of my VM's. So i used wmctrl to set the desktop directly, similar to this:

Code: Select all

wmctrl -l -x | sed "s/Box /Box-/g" | awk '/Box-Mac/ { print $1; }' | xargs -l wmctrl -i -t 2 -r