Fn keyboard capture issues on Virtualbox 6.x

[nvoutsin]

Hello everyone,

On a Debian Buster Host Machine (the soon to be Debian stable release) with a Virtualbox 6.0.8 (distro package):
Fn keys that have been used via Gnome Keyboard settings as shortcuts to launch apps, are caught by the Host Machine, even when the Guest VM has been started with the Auto capture keyboard option turned on. Unconfigured Fn keys are caught by the Guest VMs as expected.

On a Debian Stretch (the current Debian stable release) with the Virtualbox 5.x (distro package):
Fn keys are always caught by the Guest VMs, when the Guest VM has been started with the Auto capture keyboard option turned on as expected.

Full-Screen Mode does not change the results.

Can anyone else provide feedback on how configured or unconfigured Fn keys are handled in similar situations by their Linux Host and Virtualbox?
Should we assume that is a Virtualbox 6.x issue?

Regards,
Nikos

[socratis]

with a Virtualbox 6.0.8 (distro package)

I'm afraid the distros' forks not supported here. You can either ask in their forums/channels for help, or completely remove/uninstall/delete/purge their version and install the official version from the Linux Downloads section of VirtualBox (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads).

And BTW, when you refer to "Fn keys", do you mean F1...F12 or the "fn" key combinations that are used in laptops?

[nvoutsin]

I am referring to the F1,F2,... keys.

Considering how complicated the keyboard sharing things can become, the intention of the post was to identify if the problem is distro specific, virtualbox packaging specific or a virualbox 6.x issue. So for start I was looking for feedback coming from a different Virtualbox environment than mine. That's what are the forums for. Aren't they?

btw, the findings are the same even with the Oracle's Virtualbox package. Thus, allocated Fx keys are caught by the Host Machine even when the Auto capture keyboard is turned on, on Debian Buster with Virtualbox 6.x.

[socratis]

the findings are the same even with the Oracle's Virtualbox package

Then we can discuss it here

if the problem is distro specific, virtualbox packaging specific or a virualbox 6.x issue.

I'd say that it's Gnome that's taking precedence and filters these events before VirtualBox has a chance to "see" them. Not sure that there's anything that can be done if Gnome doesn't let these keystrokes through. Unless you can find an exception in those settings, I'm afraid that you have to remove that Gnome filtering mechanism.

[nvoutsin]

I'd say that it's Gnome that's taking precedence and filters these events before VirtualBox has a chance to "see" them. Not sure that there's anything that can be done if Gnome doesn't let these keystrokes through. Unless you can find an exception in those settings, I'm afraid that you have to remove that Gnome filtering mechanism.

That's my assumption too, and this is where it is getting nasty. Is it Gnome, or Debian Buster Gnome? Anyone out there with Gnome 3.30 on a different distro e.g. on Ubuntu 18.04?

I will move the discussion to Debian forums, although the situation there with the Virtualbox and the Debian Buster has become quite complicated https://wiki.debian.org/VirtualBox , and I doubt that a solution will be found.

Thanks, anyway.

[WishingIHadVMware]

I was facing this exact same issue on Mac+Virtualbox 6.x+Gnome and my solution was to check a settings box in my system preferences. Hopefully this helps someone else too!

https://imgur.com/a/mp2VBgJ