Is it possible to dedicate different USB keyboards and mice to different simultaneous VMs?

[waragainstsleep]

Can this be done?

To clarify, I want to run two (or more) near identical VMs on the same host OS (Mac) and connect one USB keyboard and mouse for each one, but I want the USB keyboards/mice to only provide input to one VM each at a time. At the same time.

I did a quick test with Apple keyboards and mice, mice connected to the keyboard ports and it neither were listed under USB in the Virtual Machine menu.

Would an external hub for each VM do the trick?

[WoodyZ]

Just curious, why do you need dedicated Keyboard/Mouse for each Virtual Machine?

[admin · Accepted solution]

Can this be done?

Yes.

I did a quick test with Apple keyboards and mice, mice connected to the keyboard ports and it neither were listed under USB in the Virtual Machine menu.

This is to prevent novice users from shooting themselves in the feet -- a USB device attached to a guest is not available to the host, which could result in a user being stuck in the guest. See USB HID in .

[waragainstsleep]

Thankyou so much for that. I actually figured it might be something fairly straightforward, but googling words like 'USB', 'keyboard' and 'VMware' didn't find me what I wanted regardless of the other words I used in the search. Works a treat!

As for why I want to do it, well now I can have two people work off one machine with two displays.

[Maclinux42]

This is to prevent novice users from shooting themselves in the feet -- a USB device attached to a guest is not available to the host, which could result in a user being stuck in the guest. See USB HID in A Power User's Guide to VMware Fusion.

I just tried applying the instructions with

usb.generic.allowHID = "TRUE"

usb.generic.allowLastHID = "TRUE"

but it only half works: The mouse attached to my MacBook now shows up in the USB devices of the VM's settings, but I can't attach it to the VM.

I also can't attach it to the VM in the Virtual Machine menu. And it also doesn't attach to the VM when I make it the default action for new USB devices.

What could be the problem?

This is Fusion 7.1.1 on Yosemite running Windows 7 in 64bits.

Thanks.