Ctrl-Alt-What?

I run a VMWare Server 2.0 installation so I can test Apache and other things on a wide variety of operating systems. Recently, I’ve been fighting to send Ctrl-Alt-Delete to the remote console of a VM from my Ubuntu workstation… some operating systems work better with Ctrl-Alt-Delete, but the moment you press Ctrl-Alt the console releases input focus. On a Windows client, you use Ctrl-Alt-Insert because the local operating system will catch the real thing.

It turns out you are to press the Del key on the numeric keypad, not on your main keyboard, to send the key combo to the console. I’m blogging this so the LazyWeb learns of it, and when next I forget I can Google for my own post.

VMWare Server rocks: the price is more than right, which allows me to do my Open Source work without paying Closed Source prices. And that in turn benefits VMWare because some of their stuff is clearly based on Apache Software Foundation projects.

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3 thoughts on “Ctrl-Alt-What?

  1. I’m using Ubuntu 8.10 (wubi – my work machine) with the VMware Remote Console Plug-in 2.5.0.122581 on Firefox 3.0.7 and your tip of pushing CTRL+ALT+DEL(on numpad) works awesome!

    Thanks for the great tip!! You just saved my computer from flying off the desk!!LOL

    Shannon VanWagner
    humans enabled
    Promote GNU/Linux – surf the web with it!!

  2. Ubuntu 8.10, Intrepid Ibex, key sequences that work when subtituted for Windows Ctrl Alt Delete:

    Ctrl-Alt-Del (Delete from the Numeric keypad ONLY)
    Ctrl-Alt-/ (Slash key from Numeric Keypad ONLY)
    Ctrl-Alt-PrtScr
    Ctrl-Alt-Insert

    (VMWare Server 2)

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