How to send command from HOST application to a Guest

[sme89saulito]

Hello guys,
I just started using VirtualBox I have the last version installed on a Win7 host and created a guest machine with last version of Debian only console nothing graphical, since I installed the most basic features on Debian, it is not having any server like Telnet, FTP or SSH neither having configured the IP in the network card, it is for some experiments, my question is if there is any way to send something like virtual keys to the guest machine once it is already up and running the console, I have an application in my desktop that is able to send virtual keys and type whole strings and send them to other windows application, but in this case for VirtualBox, the guest machine is not receiving any kind of virtual keys. with the application that I am able to send virtual keys is able to send at least the host key "CTRL" because I see in the guest machine window the bottom side icon of guest machine the status is changing but the guest machine console is not receiving any key or string and I am not sure why, I have seen this behaviour only with VirtualBox, after having IP configured and installes manually SSH server I am able to send commands to the guest machine through terminal emulator like Putty, but I am trying to configure IP and install SSH with remote or virtual keys.
Based on that I am wondering if you know any way to send virtual keys or remote command to guest machine window?

Thanks.

[scottgus1]

I have an application in my desktop that is able to send virtual keys and type whole strings and send them to other windows application

any way to send something like virtual keys to the guest machine

https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08. ... -controlvm
VBoxManage controlvm <vm> keyboardputscancode <hex> [<hex>...]: Sends commands using keycodes to the VM. Keycodes are documented in the public domain. For example: http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/linux/kbd/scancodes-1.html.

Don't forget that a keycode is not a full key, but it is key down then key up, 2 codes per key, if I remember correctly.

is able to send at least the host key "CTRL" because I see in the guest machine window the bottom side icon of guest machine the status is changing

This happens only because Virtualbox uses the right Ctrl key by default to get keyboard control out of the VM to the host.

[sme89saulito]

Thanks a lot Scottgus1 with your instructions it works perfectly for what I needed.

[scottgus1]

Great! Glad you're up and running!