How to set up Touch Bar to show function keys in a specific VirtualBox virtual machine

Solution 1:

http://www.mastropaolo.com/2016/12/16/how-to-have-function-keys-in-virtualbox-guess-with-macos-touchbar/

1. Open a Finder window to the /Applications folder. Right click on VirtualBox.app and click “Show Package Contents”.
2. Find the Resources folder, and drag it into Finder’s favorites sidebar.
3. Using the Resources folder you put in favorites, add vmstarter.app and VirtualBoxVM.app to the list of exceptions.
4. Now you can remove the Resources shortcut you added to favorites.

Solution 2:

An approach that does not require the favorites sidebar is:

1. Open Settings
2. Pick Keyboard
3. Pick Shortcuts
4. Pick Function Keys
5. Press "+"
6. Type Command-Shift-G
7. Paste the text /Applications/VirtualBox.app/Contents/Resources
8. Select VirtualBoxVM.app

Similarly for vmstarter.app

Solution 3:

There is, as explained in the link anon provided: http://www.mastropaolo.com/2016/12/16/how-to-have-function-keys-in-virtualbox-guess-with-macos-touchbar/

1. Create a link to the actual executable:

   • Right-click "VirtualBox.app"
   • Click "Show Package Contents"
   • Find the "Resources" folder and drag it to the Finder's Favourites Sidebar

2. Add the executable to the list of Applications using the Function keys:

   • Open "Settings.app" and navigate to "Keyboard" ➝ "Shortcuts" ➝ "Function keys"
   • Click "+" and add "VirtualBoxVM.app" and "vmstarter.app" using the "Resources" folder in the sidebar.

You can then remove the link from the sidebar.