Description
Use of Shift-Drag in Snow Leopard Server in a PD8 VM is impossible as the key-down state is not passed for the duration of key-down, only for a brief time at key-up. Control, Option, and Command modifier keys appear to have the same problem.
Since Shift is a modifier key often used to force transformations to maintain aspect ratio as in, for example, Shift-Drag, the utility of programs running under PD*/Snow Leopard Server is greatly diminished.
The problem can be demonstrated in any application using Shift-Drag for resizing and can be seen clearly by opening the Keyboard Viewer on both the host and virtual machines. Shift clearly shows the key-down state in the host Keyboard Viewer while no change occurs in the VM Keyboard Viewer. Upon release of Shift, the key-down state in the host viewer clears, but in the VM, the Shift key shows a short down-up sequence.
Expected Behaviour
Modifier key-down passed to VM immediately and for as long as key is down.
Actual Behaviour
Modifier key-down passed to VM upon key-up.
Regression
No data, but the problem seems to be since at least PD7 and unchanged by Lion to Mountain Lion upgrade of host machine.
Notes
Tested on multiple host machines, old and new clean install of Snow Leopard Server and old and new installs of PD8. Results are all the same.
Reinstallation of Parallels Tools makes no difference.
Modifier optimization seems to make no difference.
Use of PD8 hosting Snow Leopard Server can not be the best recommended choice with this fault interfering with graphic editing.
Movie of Keyboard Viewer indications
[video]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15665723/IMG_0104.MOV[/video]
Problem Report ID
23265580
Last edited: Mar 18, 2013
