VBox 6.0 on Ubuntu Gnome 18.10 dock not grouping icons

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AndreT
Posts: 2
Joined: 12. Aug 2017, 12:25
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: OSE Debian
Guest OSses: Ubuntu, Windows

VBox 6.0 on Ubuntu Gnome 18.10 dock not grouping icons

Post by AndreT »

Hello

After upgrading to VBox 6.0, each new VM that is launched gets its own icon in gnome-shell dock.
I Have main VBox Manager added as favorite, and until VBox 5.X all Guests started were grouped under VBox Manager icon.
Please check attached image.
This is happening since VBox 6.0 and it does not matter on gnome-shell version (tried a few).
I believe the reason is, that VBox Manager is launched using: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBox
whereas each vm is now launched using: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBoxVM --comment Test --startvm uuid

Appreciate your help

Thanks
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andyp73
Volunteer
Posts: 1631
Joined: 25. May 2010, 23:48
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Assorted Linux, Windows Server 2012, DOS, Windows 10, BIOS/UEFI emulation

Re: VBox 6.0 on Ubuntu Gnome 18.10 dock not grouping icons

Post by andyp73 »

AndreT wrote:I believe the reason is, that VBox Manager is launched using: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBox
whereas each vm is now launched using: /usr/lib/virtualbox/VirtualBoxVM --comment Test --startvm uuid
This is correct. The VirtualBox executable in v5.2.x and earlier versions acted both as the GUI configuration manager and also as the host process for the running guests.

According to one of the devs during the v6.0.0 beta process this has long since been viewed as a bad design and a potential security risk hence them being separated out into two different executable files.

Unfortunately that is the way it is and there isn't anything we can do about it.

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
fcastillo
Posts: 2
Joined: 4. Feb 2019, 00:41

Re: VBox 6.0 on Ubuntu Gnome 18.10 dock not grouping icons

Post by fcastillo »

I actually really like that each VM has its own icon. One question though, it seems that Ubuntu 20.04 is just showing a "blank" icon rather than the one used by Virtualbox. I've only managed to get the correct icon after restarting Gnome (ALT+F2 r)
Does anybody know how to fix this?
passt2
Posts: 5
Joined: 29. Jul 2013, 08:56

Re: VBox 6.0 on Ubuntu Gnome 18.10 dock not grouping icons

Post by passt2 »

After two years of having this problem, I have found an easy workaround.
Today I use Ubuntu 21.04 on my notebook with an additional external display which is my main screen. So the VMs open on this main screen. When I move the VM's window to the notebook display the icon on the dock does change to the proper one for the VM. The icon remains when the window is moved back to the main display.
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