I just noticed that when running a VM on VMware Workstation 6.5 and Ubuntu 8.10(but this problem probably also occurs on other non-Windows OS’es), you can’t use the arrow keys. But also ctrl-alt-ins isn’t working, which is annoying cause you would have to do it with the mouse. And no arrow keys also means that you can’t browse through your command-line history in Windows or Linux for that matter. Luckily there are two work arounds:
- sudo gedit /etc/vmware/config
- If that doesn’t work try adding the following:
xkeymap.keycode.108 = 0×138 # Alt_R
xkeymap.keycode.106 = 0×135 # KP_Divide
xkeymap.keycode.104 = 0x11c # KP_Enter
xkeymap.keycode.111 = 0×148 # Up
xkeymap.keycode.116 = 0×150 # Down
xkeymap.keycode.113 = 0x14b # Left
xkeymap.keycode.114 = 0x14d # Right
xkeymap.keycode.105 = 0x11d # Control_R
xkeymap.keycode.118 = 0×152 # Insert
xkeymap.keycode.119 = 0×153 # Delete
xkeymap.keycode.110 = 0×147 # Home
xkeymap.keycode.115 = 0x14f # End
xkeymap.keycode.112 = 0×149 # Prior
xkeymap.keycode.117 = 0×151 # Next
xkeymap.keycode.78 = 0×46 # Scroll_Lock
xkeymap.keycode.127 = 0×100 # Pause
xkeymap.keycode.133 = 0x15b # Meta_L
xkeymap.keycode.134 = 0x15c # Meta_R
xkeymap.keycode.135 = 0x15d # Menu
Thanks goes out to AlexPX and Johannes for pointing us out to this solution. There’s also a KB article on this one I just noticed.
Cool.
Could not have come in a better time.
I have just installed Workstation 6.5, since i read about your good experience with it, and were just installing my first Guest OS.
And what better thing to do, while its installing, then to optimize my Workstation.
Thanks for the tip
For me it also works to add just one line to the file ~/.vmware/config:
xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true
That’s what I did as well. I added
xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true
Works fine on my stinkpad T61p with Ubuntu 8.10 and WS 6.5
Tnx! In my VMware Server Consol ver. 1.0.7 build-108231 with Ubuntu 8.10 64 bit I added only xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true and now work!
Thanks!
I ran into the same issue using the VMware Server 2.0 remote console from Ubuntu. Turns out in Ubuntu the ins key is mapped to the numberpad del key! ctrl+alt+{numperpad}del worked in a Windows VM for me. http://vmetc.com/2009/01/30/ubuntu-send-ctrlaltdel-command-to-vmware-server-vm/
Just thanks for this solution which works fine on my ubuntu 9.04 with VMWareServer2 (keymap FR)
Christophe, FR
thanks johannes. thatt line just worked fine.
+1 it`s work!
If this problem was known in 8.10 why wasn’t it fixed in 9.04. I have the additional problem of all full screen VM’s jumping to the active desktop and stay where they are opened.
That should read “and NOT staying where they were opened.”