virtualbox.org

My physical host is a Mac. In it, I have a VM running Windows 7. In that VM, I'm using the VMware vSphere client. When vSphere captures the cursor, I can't figure out how to let it go. I'm not trying to get my VM to release the cursor, it's the app inside of the VM.

Help!

Nested VMs are not supported.

If the nested VM requires a crazy key combination - chosen because it will usually be ignored by other host software - then of course VirtualBox ignores it too. The only way you could pass those keys would be with a VBoxManage script on the host.

That is not nested VMs.
It is just the VMware Client running in a Windows VM.
Ctrl-Alt releases the mouse/keyboard capture from the VMware Console, like pressing the host key does for Virtualbox. And I don't think that is a "crazy key combination"...

What is your host key, and did you try it with the left or with the right keys?

I think you are reading far more into a turn of phrase than is actually there. Does "unusual key combination" work better for you?

The point is that the combination must be unusual otherwise you may rob the host of functionality. Ctrl+Alt are usually regarded as modifiers, not keystrokes in themselves, nor are they treated specially by VirtualBox. I don't know at what point an OS X host will send a keystroke signal to the VirtualBox host process, but obviously VBox can't translate and transmit the signal to the VM before that happens, so certainly no app running inside the VM can see the translated keystroke.

FWIW, I brought up the On Screen Keyboard in my Windows 7 guest and it does recognize the Ctrl and Alt keys being pressed.

I guess this might help: VB 5.0 - OSX 10.11 < shouldn't matter, OSX 10.10 should be the same.

mpack wrote:The point is that the combination must be unusual otherwise you may rob the host of functionality. Ctrl+Alt are usually regarded as modifiers, not keystrokes in themselves, nor are they treated specially by VirtualBox. I don't know at what point an OS X host will send a keystroke signal to the VirtualBox host process, but obviously VBox can't translate and transmit the signal to the VM before that happens, so certainly no app running inside the VM can see the translated keystroke.

Vbox definitely sends "modifier key presses" directly to the guest, otherwise you wouldn't be able for example to show the window menus in Explorer or Firefox by pressing the Alt key.

Martin wrote:Vbox definitely sends "modifier key presses" directly to the guest, otherwise you wouldn't be able for example to show the window menus in Explorer or Firefox by pressing the Alt key.

Good point.

The default "Host" key for OSX hosts is the left Command key btw.

edit: I would think since the Host key gives control of the cursor back to the host it should work.