[SOLVED] Switching virtual terminals within virtualbox

vharishankar · 08-15-2008, 03:36 AM

Here's the issue. And a question for those familiar with virtualbox (www.virtualbox.org)

Assume that you're running another UNIX-like OS within Linux. And now, you want to switch virtual terminals *within* that guest operating system (say OpenBSD - which I'm currently using). The problem is that when I use the Ctrl+Alt+Function key it switches the terminal in the host operating system.

Is there a workaround to map a different key to allow switching of virtual terminals within the guest operating system?

biophysics · 08-15-2008, 07:30 AM

Look in the right bottom corner. The so-called Host Key. Press that alone and all the future keyboard will be captured by guest (not host).

vharishankar · 08-15-2008, 08:10 AM

That has no effect at all. The Ctrl+Alt+<Function> is still captured by the host, not guest.

vharishankar · 08-15-2008, 09:11 AM

I got the solution from my brother (who's an official virtualbox developer himself)

Right Ctrl+<function key>

catkin · 08-22-2009, 02:08 PM

If you don't have a right Ctrl (mini-keyboard like a laptop), try Windows+F<n> also known in the *n*x world as Super+F<n>.

catkin · 09-14-2009, 04:03 PM

Don't know why Windows+F<n> (a.k.a Super+F<n>) was working. The "proper" combination is <Host key>+F<n> where <Host key> defaults to right-Ctrl but can be redefined in VirtualBox via File->Preferences->Input.

jomen · 09-14-2009, 05:09 PM

Thank you catkin!
I subscribed to this thread because I did not find that info anywhere.
It will be found now - here - hopefully

One could have thought of trying this - but I didn't.
CTRL + ALT + F<n> (as in a native environment)
vs. just
<Host key>+F<n>
- it did not come to me as obvious...

naveen_cs321 · 01-28-2011, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hs123

Here's the issue. And a question for those familiar with virtualbox (www.virtualbox.org)

Assume that you're running another UNIX-like OS within Linux. And now, you want to switch virtual terminals *within* that guest operating system (say OpenBSD - which I'm currently using). The problem is that when I use the Ctrl+Alt+Function key it switches the terminal in the host operating system.

Is there a workaround to map a different key to allow switching of virtual terminals within the guest operating system?

Switching between text consoles in a Linux virtual machine

Symptoms
When the CTRL + ALT + F1 key combination is used to switch to another text console (terminal) on a Linux virtual machine, the host switches to a text console instead of the guest.

Resolution
The CTRL + ALT combination is used by VMware to direct the keyboard input to the host.

Press CTRL + ALT + Space , press the F1 key (or desired Function key) while still holding down CTRL + ALT .