The VMware application assumes the use of a PS/2 104-key Windows 95/98 keyboard.
Using the Mouse Cursor
When you first launch VMware application, the mouse cursor can move anywhere on the screen. Specifically, it can move freely between the VM window and the host operating system.
However, when you begin work in a particular VM, cursor movement is confined to the window for that VM. That is, when you are active within a particular VM you cannot move the cursor outside of that VM's window. This concept is referred to as the VM "grabbing" the mouse.
You allow a VM to grab the mouse as long as you want to work in a VM; then you use a keystroke combination, called the hot-key sequence, to "free" the cursor so that it can move outside the VM window. A free cursor can go anywhere on the screen. To re-enter the VM (or another VM), move the cursor into the VM's window and click on the mouse.
It is helpful to understand the concepts behind mouse grabbing, as you can always use the hot-key to move directly to any desired window. However, if you enable the VMware Toolbox options called auto grab and auto release, you do not need the hot-key sequence to move between windows. These options allow the mouse to move freely between the host and any guest operating systems. See "Auto Grab and Auto Release" for more information.
The VM must grab the mouse cursor because any cursor, keyboard, or mouse activity can be directed to only one OS at a time; therefore, while the cursor is inside the VM window, the guest operating system should respond to its movements.
You will quickly get used to mouse grabbing. Here are a few hints:
To "free" the mouse cursor from a single VM's window and so that it can move anywhere on the screen, use the key sequence Control-Alt-Esc. (The sequence can be changed to Control-Shift-Alt-Esc, using the VM configuration editor.)
After you free the mouse, the mouse cursor marker will remain on the VM screen at its last location. At first, until you get used to this "shadow" cursor, this may give the effect of having two cursors (one that does not respond). When you reenter the VM and click to grab the mouse, the cursor will resume at this location.
If you can enable the VMware Toolbox option Hide Cursor, then the VM cursor is suppressed whenever you exit the VM window, and reappears when you re-enter the VM window.
The Linux OS uses three mouse buttons, but many mice have only two buttons. To simulate the middle button when using a Linux VM with a 2-button mouse, press both mouse buttons simultaneously.
Choosing Full Screen or Window View
You can display a VM in a window or in full screen mode.
When you display a VM as a window, you can see the name of the VM in the window's title, as well as the menu and toolbar for the VM, and the LEDs for the VM in the lower left corner. These features are not visible when you display a VM in full screen mode.
When you display a VM in full screen mode, the screen is generally indistinguishable from the guest operating system when it runs in native mode. (It will differ if it is in SVGA mode at a resolution lower than the screen resolution.) Whenever you switch to full screen mode, the VM automatically grabs the mouse cursor. Note however, that you must switch to windows mode to use either the menu or toolbar.
By default a VM opens in a window. You can switch a VM's display between full screen and window mode using the following hot-key sequences.
The first VM started is virtual terminal 8, the second 9, and so on up to 12. So you would press Control-Alt-F11 to display the 4th VM in full screen mode.
You can change the hot-key sequence using the VM configuration editor. By default, the key sequences are those described above. Typically you would only change the hot-key sequence if you are using the same key sequence for another purpose or application. If you change the hot-key sequence, then it becomes Control-Shift-Alt-[key]. That is, the only difference is the addition of the Shift key.
Switching Between Multiple VM Windows
If you start multiple VMs, your screen remains in windows mode after you power on each VM. After you have started all the desired VMs, you can then display any of the VMs in full screen mode, by pressing Control-Alt-Fx.
As described in the previous section, F8 is assigned to the first VM you start. If you start multiple VMs, they are assigned F8 through F12 respectively. You can set all your VMs to full screen mode and cycle through them by using Control-Alt-Fx.
Holding down the Control-Alt keys while cycling through the function keys to switch between VMs (virtual terminals) does not work. You must release and re-press both the Control and Alt keys to switch to each virtual terminal.
Changing Window Size
The size of the virtual display is determined by the guest OS. You can resize the VMware application window as long as the menu option Auto Fit is not enabled.