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VMware GSX 3 User Manual

Page 159

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C H A P T E R 4 Managing Virtual Machines and the VMware GSX Server Host

159

You can construct your own custom hot-key combination if, for example, the default
Ctrl+Alt combination conflicts with another application on the host that processes
the same hot-key combination.

For example, you may want to change hot key combinations from Ctrl-Alt- to
Ctrl-Shift-Alt- to prevent GSX Server from intercepting Ctrl-Alt-Delete instead of
letting the key combination be sent to the guest operating system.

Or, you may be using PC Anywhere to connect to a machine running a console. The
the console is connected to a virtual machine running in full screen mode, and you
want to run a different application. Normally, to return to window mode, you press
Ctrl-Alt, but PC Anywhere processes Ctrl-Alt key combinations, so GSX Server cannot
receive the key combination. Thus, you need to use an alternate hot-key combination
to get out of full screen mode.

Note: Because Ctrl-Alt is the key combination that tells 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, Ctrl-Alt- 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.

You can also construct your own custom hot-key combination. Select Custom, then
select the combination of Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys. You specify whether each key is:

Down — where you must press the key down as part of the key combination.

Up — where you must leave the key unpressed as part of the key combination.

Don’t care — where it does not matter if you press the key.