separate caps-lock state between host & guest (#14053)

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RandomName123
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separate caps-lock state between host & guest (#14053)

Post by RandomName123 »


ModEdit; related ticket: #14053: separate caps-lock state between host & guest
Firstly, does anyone know of a way to separate the state of caps-lock between guest and host?

If so, can you please advise me how - and ignore the suggestion shown below. :lol:

If this is not presently possible, I'd like to suggest that each VM settings page have an additional setting for linking the caps-lock state (might as well include num-lock, scroll-lock states too).

The setting could be: [linked to host] or [unlinked to host]. Unlinked would permit completely different states between the host and guest.

I run an Ubuntu host with a Windows guest OS. This particular guest uses apps that require caps-lock on permanently. But the host OS does not. So switching between them always involves a manual tap on the caps-lock key. Having an automatic switch (like with mouse cursor capture and release) would be great!

Thoughts? :)
Last edited by socratis on 30. Jul 2019, 10:36, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Added ticket related information.
scottgus1
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Re: separate caps-lock state between host & guest

Post by scottgus1 »

Interesting requirement for the app. Always having to yell at it... :lol:

I've read these forums for a few years and haven't seen this as a common request. You could try posting this on the Bugtracker (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker) as an enhancement request, and see what the developers say.

Meanwhile, you could re-map your guest's lowercase key inputs to the uppercase letters in Windows. See http://superuser.com/questions/694465/r ... indows-8-1 or a google search on key mapping in the flavor of Windows you have.
RandomName123
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Re: separate caps-lock state between host & guest

Post by RandomName123 »

Hi scottgus1,

Yes, unfortunately it's old-school thinking (imagine a 3270 but with software written in 2012) - the database can accept lower-case chars but sometime back in the distant past, someone decided to type everything in uppercase. So, now everyone who uses this has to do the same for consistency... :roll:
scottgus1 wrote:You could try posting this on the Bugtracker (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker) as an enhancement request, and see what the developers say.
I have now done this: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/14053
scottgus1 wrote:Meanwhile, you could re-map your guest's lowercase key inputs to the uppercase letters in Windows.
Ah, excellent idea! 8)

I've now installed AutoHotKey in the Windows guest and configured a-z to translate into A-Z and A-Z to translate into a-z. Works very well (good enough for my needs).

Thanks! :D
michaln
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Re: separate caps-lock state between host & guest

Post by michaln »

Actually... separate host and guest Caps/Num/Scroll Lock state is the current default behavior on Windows and OS X hosts. But it's not on Linux, because there it's extremely difficult to control the state of the host's keyboard LEDs.

In theory it would be possible to keep the guest lock state separate and leave the LEDs alone, but that would probably get very confusing very fast.
RandomName123
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Re: separate caps-lock state between host & guest

Post by RandomName123 »

Well, I have trouble with that anyway as I'm still using an early Microsoft wireless keyboard ... with no LEDs (... and a receiver that's bigger than the mouse. :lol: )

But I see your point. 8)
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