Linux-VirtualBox-Win2K and Ctrl keys disabled

[oldefoxx]

Using Ubuntu with VirtualBox and having a Windows 2000 client has worked well for quite awhile. But for some reason, with the client. the Control keys have stoppped working at all. I cannot do cut-and-paste, copy-and-paste, or with FireFox, do Ctrl+ yo zoom in, or Ctrl- to zoom out. In fact, the right Ctrtl key is unable to even act as the host key for VirtualBox. I was able to transfer that function to the page key instead. For FireFox and any cut-and-paste or copy-and-paste work, I have to work through the top toolbar while working in the client. Not so for any work being done at the host level.

It is so broad natured and yet specific to what is running under VirtualBox that I have to conclude that it is somehow related to VirtualBox itself.

[Michael Thayer]

Sounds like something may be capturing the control key on the host. You don't notice that in most applications, as unlike VirtualBox they just check the status of the control key when they need it, not the actual keypresses.

[oldefoxx]

First, this concerns the Sun version of VirtualBox, not the OSE verson. Second, it can't be at the host level, because it only shows up with applications running under the Guest OS. The intervening factor is, of course, VirtualBox.

Third, I think I found what it is that causes this. I am running Ubuntu on a notebook and have to go to maximum resolution since the notebook seems to be locked to a pixel sise screen setting. This 1440x900, and everything, including the mouse pointer, is small. The mouse pointer also has a problem remaining on top, and sometimes just seems to go away. Extremely hard to get it back. A known problem apparently, because under Mouse settings, they added a button to zone an area around the mouse pointer if you press down and release the Ctrl button, The zone effect only happens after the Ctrl key is released, and apparently it monitors the Ctrl key constantly to see when it gets released. If the Ctrl gets pressed down, it might just go into a loop waiting for its release. Then it would be a host or Ubuntu problem, but for some reason only effects the guest environment. I also found that if you set up VirtualBox and create a guest, then mount and run a LiveCD under that guest, that less than 20% of the keys pressed will be picked up in a text field, and this also effects key behavior outside of just entering text. Something somewhere is grabbing keystrokes without observing what application actually has focus at that point. And you have to have the ability or use some key to get the mouse pointer located, because that key not only discloses where the pointer is, but makes it appear on the top layer again so that it can be used properly.

[Michael Thayer]

I wonder whether you read my comment properly? There are two ways that an application on the host can check the status of the control key. The common one is just to ask the system "is the control key currently pressed?" and this is enough for most applications. The other way, for applications for which the first isn't enough, is to ask the host for notification everytime the key is pressed or released. I suspect that whatever it is on your system that is zoning your mouse pointer when you press control is breaking the second way of doing it, but most applications don't use that and wouldn't be affected. As a test you could try disabling that functionality, or using Qemu or something else that needs to pass on information about all key presses (even xev would do the trick) and seeing if it is also affected.

[oldefoxx]

All I can add is that VirtualBox itself monitors the right Ctrl key for indications of host activity being requested, but it no longer responds to either the left or right Ctrl key when this problem appears. I was able to transfer host to the page key, and with it, VirtualBox behaves as it should, but still the Ctrl keys are deactivated in apparently both VirtualBox and the guest OS.

These problems are not apparent under the Ubuntu host itself, or applications that run from the host, except for VirtualBox. That is the extent of what I have to report. Obviously if others cannot incur the same symptoms, there can neither confirm or refute what I have to report. The only thing I can add is the notebook in question is a Toshiba Satellite L355-S7915, and based on the history of prior reports related to Toshiba products, may be repeatable on other L350- or L355- models, or other groups of models under the Toshiba brand. As to other brands, I have no way of knowing.