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How to change the Host key in VirtualBox on OS X

Published 2013-3-12

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/2j25NcCBC80

By default OS X's Cmd key (aka Win or Super) does annoying things in VirtualBox. Here's how you fix that - and even make it do useful things!

Make VirtualBox's Host key not annoyning

  1. Open Spotlight
  2. Type VirtualBox (aka VirtualBox Manager)
  3. Hit the key
  4. Hit ⌘ + , to open VirtualBox Preferences (you could select Preferences from the VirtualBox context menu in the upper left of the screen up by the Apple Menu)
  5. Select the Input tab
  6. Click the ⟳ (refresh?) icon on the right (directly above OK)
  7. Click in the Host Key box (where in now reads None)
  8. Hit a key combination for the new Host Key (or just leave it as None)

The most common reason to do this is so that when you hit things like Cmd + C and Cmd + Q you don't annoyingly Crash or Quit VirtualBox.

Make the Command key useful

However, even more useful is to remap the command key as the control key (or control + shift).

Since the Linux gurus refer to Command as Super I was able to change my search terms and find Binding Super+C Super+V to Copy and Paste

  1. Open ~/.Xmodmap

    vim .Xmodmap

  2. Add these lines

    remove mod4 = Super_L keysym Super_L = Control_L add Control = Control_L

  3. And load the new configuration

    xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

Remedial Control + Shift

On OS X Control performs the function of Control on the commandline and Command performs the function of Control (or Control + Shift) in the GUI.

Although there's no magic to really get this awesomeness with the so-called Super key in Linux you can have remedial support in Gnome Terminal.

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Hover over the context menu at the very top
  3. Open Edit
  4. Open Shortcut Keys
  5. Scroll down to Copy Shift + Ctrl + C
  6. Click on the shortcut once or twice New accelerator... appears
  7. Hit Command + C
  8. Repeat for Command + V

Now Command + V (which is remapped to Control) is equivalent to what Shift + Control + V was. Likewise, the new Shift + Control + C will function as the old Control + C and vice-versa.


By AJ ONeal

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