VirtualBox

Opened 9 years ago

Last modified 9 years ago

#14667 new enhancement

Enhancement: Forward all USB devices except some

Reported by: Sasha1024 Owned by:
Component: USB Version: VirtualBox 5.0.6
Keywords: Cc:
Guest type: all Host type: all

Description

USB Device Filters give possibility to forward some specific USB device from host to guest. They also give possibility to forward some set of devices specified by criteria (e.g. any Kingston-manufactured USB flash drive; great feature!). What is missing is a possibility to make negative filters; e.g. to forward any USB device except keyboard and mouse from host to guest.

Use case 1: For specific reasons I work mostly inside guest OS. I don't want to go to virtualbox menu and click on device every time I insert an USB device; neither I want to create filter for every manufacturer whose device I may use. (On the other hand, I can't use filter that matches all USB devices, because keyboard, mouse and some other stuff need to be in exclusion list, i.e. available to host OS, not forwarded to guest.)

Use case 1.1: My separately-living relative (hard-learning novice in computers) works only inside guest OS. Actually, he doesn't know anything about host OS and virtualbox at all: guest OS is always in fullscreen mode, trying to behave as it's the only OS. Same problem as above: he needs all inserted USB hardware (with some exclusion list, like: keyboard, mouse, etc) to be forwarded to guest OS, but unlike use case 1 where it's all about convenience, in use case 1.1 it's a critical feature (virtualbox needs to work invisibly/seamlessly for novice user who never presses Host Key and known nothing about virtualbox menu).

Use case 2. See https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=49100 (not my post). The topic starter uses virtualbox with guest OS for inspecting suspicious storage media; he wants all devices except some exception list to be by default forwarded to guest OS.

Change History (1)

comment:1 by Sasha1024, 9 years ago

Additionally, I support #1930. I mean, virtual machine may use the same exclusion list to act in two places:

  • devices from exclusion list never appear in the "Devices" menu of virtual machine;
  • devices from exclusion list are never forwarded to guest OS (even if USB filters in virtual machine settings say the opposite); in this way USB filter with empty fields won't forward keyboard/mouse (if they're in exclusion list).

Actually, this exclusion list may be even virtualbox-wide (in VirtualBox Preferences), rather than virtual-machine-wide (in virtual machine's settings).

Last edited 9 years ago by Sasha1024 (previous) (diff)
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