using keyboard shortcuts to switch virtual desktops on the host while in full-screen mode

[Salvador Fandino]

I would like to be able to run VirtualBox, full-screen, in a virtual desktop and still being able to use the Gnome (or KDE, or whatever) keyboard shortcuts to switch to other virtual desktops on the host machine.

Currently, I have to: first leave full-screen mode, then select a different windows and finally, use the keyboard shortcuts to move to a different desktop. It is a real nuisance.

[Dane Weber]

My vision of this feature would be fairly general: allow for a custom configuration where the user specifies what key combinations are passed through to the host OS. In this case, for example, the user might configure Ctrl+Alt+Arrow-Keys. Perhaps several community-developed sample configurations could be made available, or even check-boxes included for major shortcuts.

All of that said, the desire to switch between virtual desktops is not a big deal. As I type this, I have an XP guest running full-screen on my second virtual desktop. When in the guest, I simply tap my host key once (the right Ctrl for me), then hit Ctrl+Alt+Left. While admittedly one additional step compared to the above solution, it's pretty easy. My only wish, and I'm not sure how to manage this, is that when I switch back, if I changed the focus to another window (such as the browser I'm typing in), I have to take an additional action to bring the focus back to VirtualBox, the only open application on my second virtual desktop. That, however, belongs in another ticket.