VirtualBox – Easily Tell If Focused on VirtualBox Window

macosUbuntuvirtualbox

Is there a way to make it very obvious that my VirtualBox window isn't in focus?

The problem I'm having is switching between workspaces on Ubuntu or OS X and then trying to type in my Windows virtual machine, only to find that it's not in focus. The Windows window looks like it's in focus (based on the title bar), but I'm actually typing in Firefox on the host machine, for example. It's even worse because the Windows text insertion cursor is blinking to show focus.

Ideally, I'd like the VM's display to get unsaturated (e.g. a "partial" grayscale) when not in focus, just to prevent this keyboard-focus problem. Other options would be fine too, as long as I don't have to second guess where my focus is.

I'm not using the seamless mode — the display is all within a window.

Best Answer

If Ubuntu is your host and you have Compiz enabled, you could use the "ADD Helper" setting in the CompizConfig Settings Manager. This will "dimm" all but the active window. Note - this will apply to all windows, not just Virtualbox.

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – VirtualBox shared folder hangs on read in guest OS

In my case the following has helped:

update to Virtual Box 4.3.8 r92456,
reinstallation of VirtualBox Guest Additions from virtual CD (not from apt repository),
reboot of virtual machine.

System information:

Host: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit,
Guest: Linux Mint 16 Petra 32-bit.

macOS – How to Tell Which App Stole Focus

Here's a script that will tell you which app is activating without telling you. I adapted it from an answer to @KevinReid's question over on Apple SE.

Leave it running in a terminal, wait for the rogue app to steal focus, and see which app is listed last. (For me: Google Drive. Others have reported Symantec AV stuff.)

#!/usr/bin/python                                                                                                       

try:
    from AppKit import NSWorkspace
except ImportError:
    print "Can't import AppKit -- maybe you're running python from brew?"
    print "Try running with Apple's /usr/bin/python instead."
    exit(1)

from datetime import datetime
from time import sleep

last_active_name = None
while True:
    active_app = NSWorkspace.sharedWorkspace().activeApplication()
    if active_app['NSApplicationName'] != last_active_name:
        last_active_name = active_app['NSApplicationName']
        print '%s: %s [%s]' % (
            datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'),
            active_app['NSApplicationName'],
            active_app['NSApplicationPath']
        )
    sleep(1)

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – VirtualBox shared folder hangs on read in guest OS

macOS – How to Tell Which App Stole Focus

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