virtualbox.org

Is there any way we can get Host Text Copy to Guest Paste without the Guest Additions installed?

This doesn't seem like a huge problem so I'm kind of wondering why virtualbox doesn't do it when other VMs do.

I assume you meant other Virtualization Programs/Hypervisors and not "VMs" VM = Virtual Machine.

There isn't a way, no, and I doubt there will be with the current structure of VirtualBox, so don't hold your breath.

Essentially, Virtualbox without Guest Additions gives you the equivalent of two or more real PCs side-by-side, using a KVM switch, possibly networked together if you set them up that way. How would you be able to cut on one PC and have the clipboard data from that one PC be available on another PC? Figure that out and you'd have your solution on how to do that in Virtualbox without Guest Additions. Clue: you're going to need some kind of installed program in each PC - they don't have such capability out of the box, as you know.

A quick Google on "share clipboard between computers" got me this blog: https://gigaom.com/2008/05/28/7-ways-to ... clipboard/ with seven add-on programs that do what you'd like - again, they're installs, not built-in.

So instead of installing the VirtualBox Guest Additions, you install what amounts to third party additions (which are not optimized for VirtualBox).

This makes me doubt the statement that other VM software can do this out of the box. Apart from kludgy keyboard hacks I don't see what mechanism could be used by any VM platform to copy data into a VM that isn't running some form of data receive app.

No, I don't want to have to install an additional program. I can't say I've looked at the code for other MVs but given how they react I would think that they added a bit to the keyboard driver and simulate the appropriate key press information via the PS/2 port.

Virtualbox already does this somewhat as it's is fully able to pass/block keyboard information into a mv without the Guest Additions. So we are talking about that code sometimes taking the input from a "paste buffer" instead of the host computer's keyboard.

This feature is fine to disable once Guest Additions are recognized.

I would like do know, which virtualizer is able to copy&paste between host and guest, without any tool installed in the guest, i do not know one.

isgdre wrote:So we are talking about that code sometimes taking the input from a "paste buffer" instead of the host computer's keyboard.

Work has already started in that front. See also the discussion in Input -> Keyboard -> "Paste as text (send characters)". Not a lot has been done due to other priorities, but they know about that option.

towo2099 wrote:I would like do know, which virtualizer is able to copy&paste between host and guest, without any tool installed in the guest, i do not know one.

Just because you don't know of one, doesn't make it not true. Both Hyper-V and VMWare fully support copy and pasting the clipboard to the virtual machine WITHOUT guest additions. As already stated, this is a simple process of simulating keystrokes. Something the hypervisor already does.

Appleoddity wrote:Both Hyper-V and VMWare fully support copy and pasting the clipboard to the virtual machine WITHOUT guest additions.

False, on both counts. Hyper-v client side code is built into Windows, how could you possibly not be aware of something so obvious? And everyone who has ever used VMWare is well aware of the VMWare guest tools. What are you saying... that VMWare created those for no reason?

If you're going to wake up an old thread then the least you could do is check your facts.

mpack wrote:Hyper-v client side code is built into Windows

Well I used to do this (text paste only) with Virtual PC into guests that predate Hyper-V. i.e. Dos and Windows 2000 guests. Was pretty darn handy.

I figured I'd do it a while ago and looked up the source. Found where to put it and it didn't seem like a big deal. Then I found I'd have to buy a new computer and setup/learn a new development environment just for that. Didn't seem worth that much effort so I can paste product keys while setting new guests.

so, for someone who already has the environment what do you need.
few indicators, a fixed buff of say 80 byes, a conversion table for about 100 characters, access to some kind of timer for the feed rate and some trigger to start it all off. As hardware emulation goes. Pretty simple stuff.

A not clicky-clicky solution has been working for about a year. For a small usage lesson see: Re: Input -> Keyboard -> "Paste as text (send characters)".

Since this thread was also referred previously and it was not read, and since I have a feeling that it's going to happen in the future, I'm locking this.