Optional Host+Alt+Tab to switch between Host/Guest(s)

Here you can provide suggestions on how to improve the product, website, etc.
over_clox
Volunteer
Posts: 167
Joined: 5. Apr 2008, 22:43
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Ubuntu 10.04, Legacy Testing

Optional Host+Alt+Tab to switch between Host/Guest(s)

Post by over_clox »

Need I say more?
Last edited by over_clox on 6. Apr 2008, 03:31, edited 1 time in total.
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Post by Sasquatch »

Need to minimze the Guest while in full screen? Why not hit the Host key first, then use Alt+Space > N to minimize it? Then you can use Alt+Tab to get back to it, or just click it's taskbar item.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
over_clox
Volunteer
Posts: 167
Joined: 5. Apr 2008, 22:43
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Ubuntu 10.04, Legacy Testing

Post by over_clox »

Seems like too many keystrokes for me. Besides, you have to take VBox out of fullscreen before Alt+Space even works. Why not have a Host+Space or Host+Alt+Space for instant access to VBox's window control menu? I'd also like to suggest a possible additional keystroke for fullscreen: Host+Enter or Host+Alt+Enter. See where I'm going with this - stay basically true to Windows form.
araneldon
Posts: 5
Joined: 2. Mar 2008, 15:10

Post by araneldon »

A single hotkey to minimize VirtualBox would be very welcome as this is something I do often.
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Post by Sasquatch »

over_clox wrote:Seems like too many keystrokes for me. Besides, you have to take VBox out of fullscreen before Alt+Space even works. Why not have a Host+Space or Host+Alt+Space for instant access to VBox's window control menu? I'd also like to suggest a possible additional keystroke for fullscreen: Host+Enter or Host+Alt+Enter. See where I'm going with this - stay basically true to Windows form.
Indeed, my option does not work. I didn't try it, so I assumed it would work. I was wrong. Then indeed, a key to minimize the Guest could be useful.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
over_clox
Volunteer
Posts: 167
Joined: 5. Apr 2008, 22:43
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Ubuntu 10.04, Legacy Testing

Post by over_clox »

Sasquatch - Note that I retitled the topic since you first read it. Although a quick minimize would indeed be useful too, I was thinking more about switching between the host and guest(s) as if they were Windows applications using the Host key.
scripting
Posts: 4
Joined: 29. May 2008, 05:50

Multiple desktops

Post by scripting »

The Ultimate Power Here Would Be To Have A Guest OS Act Like On Of The Hosts Multiple Desktops.
Example:
Xp Inside Ubuntu
Ubuntu Has Multiple desktops i can switch between with my mouse wheel and other shortcuts, if virtualbox was added as another desktop or became one of the existing desktops, then the guest could (theoretically) change screen resolutions.
My reasoning is that when i run a full screen game that changes screen resolutions. When I run StarCraft In XP as a guest, it kicks virtualbox out of full screen.
This Maybe a feature I don't know haw to set up and use, because I'm so new to the linux and virtualbox scene.
I would appreciate any thoughts on this idea.
scripting
Posts: 4
Joined: 29. May 2008, 05:50

one more note

Post by scripting »

there is a virtual icon in my guest XP That Is The Adon feature for mouse and file sharing, there could be a multiple desktop added here (if only a right mouse click in the systray icon)
petrossa
Volunteer
Posts: 101
Joined: 17. May 2008, 18:20
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: OSx86, Linuxes, vista, win 7
Location: france, menton
Contact:

Post by petrossa »

araneldon wrote:A single hotkey to minimize VirtualBox would be very welcome as this is something I do often.
they could just add a few more switches to vboxmanage, easy to do i quess. Then you can set shortcuts to a keypress combination of choice.
scripting
Posts: 4
Joined: 29. May 2008, 05:50

not quite minimize

Post by scripting »

You can have the guest in a small (restored) state and use the host key(right<Ctrl>)f
and again to return to that restored state. From there you can alt tab to another app.
But this would happen in a single desktop of a multi-desktop os.
What I'm looking for, is to have the guest locked into full screen as a second desktop with a means to flip back and forth (shortcut or mouse wheel).
example:
In ubuntu, I start with 2 desktops, desktop 1 is in focus.
I can use my mouse wheel to flip to desktop 2, so long as I have nothing maximized (mouse pointer has to be over the desktop for mouse wheel).
I then load my guest (XP) in a window (If maximized I need to use the desktop icons in the ubuntu systray) to go back to desktop 1 (empty),
I can then use my mouse wheel to return to desktop 2, showing Xp
Unfortunately there is no way to go from a full screened guest, using desktop 2, to desktop 1, without coming out of full screen.
petrossa
Volunteer
Posts: 101
Joined: 17. May 2008, 18:20
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: OSx86, Linuxes, vista, win 7
Location: france, menton
Contact:

Re: not quite minimize

Post by petrossa »

scripting wrote: Unfortunately there is no way to go from a full screened guest, using desktop 2, to desktop 1, without coming out of full screen.
Buy a second monitor :) Works fine for me. I use alt-tab in the primary, vbox runs on the secondary. Thataway i can put several vm's on top of each other and alternate between them or put host windows on top of the vm. Probably the most elegant solution even if vbox would offer your idea
Sasquatch
Volunteer
Posts: 17798
Joined: 17. Mar 2008, 13:41
Primary OS: Debian other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux
Location: /dev/random

Post by Sasquatch »

Unfortunately there is no way to go from a full screened guest, using desktop 2, to desktop 1, without coming out of full screen.
I can change desktop by pressing Hostkey once, then use the shortcut key to change desktop. Works just fine.
Read the Forum Posting Guide before opening a topic.
VirtualBox FAQ: Check this before asking questions.
Online User Manual: A must read if you want to know what we're talking about.
Howto: Install Linux Guest Additions
Howto: Use Shared Folders on Linux Guest
See the Tutorials and FAQ section at the top of the Forum for more guides.
Try searching the forums first with Google and add the site filter for this forum.
E.g. install guest additions site:forums.virtualbox.org

Retired from this Forum since OSSO introduction.
scripting
Posts: 4
Joined: 29. May 2008, 05:50

Works But ...

Post by scripting »

I tried that after your suggestion and pressing the hostkey once does indeed send the next key combo to the host instead of the guest, even from full screen, NICE!
I did try holding the host key down while entering combo's once, but gave up when that didn't work.
Thanks for passing on the Sweetest shortcut ever.
And I Thank vbox development for including it.
For thous running Xp hosts, you can probably use deskman to do this in:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/ ... ySetup.exe.
Cheers!
bernt.ribbum
Posts: 4
Joined: 3. Dec 2008, 23:48

Re: Optional Host+Alt+Tab to switch between Host/Guest(s)

Post by bernt.ribbum »

Or, for those with an Nvidia card - the nView desktop switcher works like a charm. All thanks to the host key :-)

Great!
tutu
Posts: 13
Joined: 19. Dec 2018, 03:21

Re: Optional Host+Alt+Tab to switch between Host/Guest(s)

Post by tutu »

just tap the host key aka 'right control' once, and once only, then hit alt tab and you're good to go.
Locked