VMware GSX Server 2.5.2Features | Documentation | Knowledge Base | Discussion Forums The GSX Server local and remote consoles contain a hot-key preferences editor where you can substitute an alternate hot-key combination (use of Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys in combination with other keys) if the default Ctrl+Alt combination conflicts with another application on the host that processes the same hot-key combination. These key combinations determine whether certain combinations of keys are passed to the guest operating system or intercepted by GSX Server. Using the hot-key preferences editor, you can also construct your own custom hot key combination. For example, you may want to change hot key combinations from Ctrl-Alt-<key> to Ctrl-Shift-Alt-<key> to prevent Ctrl-Alt-Delete from being intercepted by GSX Server instead of being sent to the guest operating system. As another example, you are using PC Anywhere to connect to a machine running a local console. The virtual machine to which the local console is connected is in full screen mode, and you want to run a different application. Normally, to return to window mode, you would press Ctrl-Alt, but PC Anywhere processes Ctrl-Alt key combinations, so GSX Server cannot receive the key combination. Thus, you would need to use an alternate hot-key combination to get out of full screen mode. Note: Because Ctrl-Alt is the key combination used to tell GSX Server to release (ungrab) mouse and keyboard input, combinations that include Ctrl-Alt are not passed to the guest operating system. If you need to use such a combination — for example, use Ctrl-Alt-<Fkey> to switch between Linux workspaces in a virtual machine — press Ctrl-Alt-Space, release Space without releasing Ctrl and Alt, then press the third key of the key combination you want to send to the guest. Note: Changing the hot-key combination changes the sequence you need to use. For example, if you change the hot-key combination to Ctrl-Shift-Alt, you must press Ctrl-Shift-Alt-Insert to end the guest operating system session, and Ctrl-Shift-Alt to release the mouse and keyboard from the virtual machine to the host operating system. To set hot key preferences, in the Preferences dialog box, click the Hot Keys tab.
In the console window, choose Settings > Hot-Key Modifiers. The GSX Server Hot-Key Modifiers dialog box appears.
You can set your GSX Server hot-key combination to be the default (Ctrl-Alt), Ctrl-Shift-Alt or a combination you specify here. Select the appropriate radio button. If you select Custom, you need to specify the combination of Ctrl, Shift and Alt keys to use as the alternate sequence. You can set each key to be Down, Up or Don't Care. If you select Down, then that key must be pressed down in a hot-key sequence. If you select Up, then that key must not be pressed in a hot-key sequence. If you select Don't Care, then you have the option of pressing the key. On keyboards with both left and right Ctrl, Shift or Alt keys, pressing either key is acceptable for a Down-enabled key. For example, if you select:
Control -> Down Then you must press Ctrl-Alt to exit full screen mode (or use Ctrl-Alt with any other hot-key sequence); either the left or right Ctrl key (or both) must be pressed down, and either the left or right Alt key (or both) must be pressed down, and both of the Shift keys must be up (not pressed down). As another example, if you select:
Control -> Down Then you can press Ctrl-Shift to exit full screen mode; the Ctrl and Shift keys must be pressed as in the previous example, but either Alt key may be or may not be pressed down. |
