Setting USB Configuration Properties

You can set USB configuration properties in the /etc/vmware/config, /usr/lib/vmware/config, and ~/.vmware/config configuration files.

Use the following syntax to set USB configuration properties in the configuration files.

viewusb.property1 = "value1"

With USB configuration properties, you can control whether certain types of devices are redirected. Filtering properties are also available to enable you to include or exclude certain types of devices. Properties for splitting composite devices are also provided.

Some property values require the VID (vendor ID) and PID (product ID) for a USB device. To find the VID and PID, you can search on the Internet for the product name combined with vid and pid. Alternatively, you can look in the /tmp/vmware-<current_user>/vmware-view-usbd-*.log file after you plug in the USB device to the local system when Horizon Client is running. To set the location of this file, use the view-usbd.log.fileName property in the /etc/vmware/config file, for example:

 view-usbd.log.fileName = "/tmp/usbd.log"

Important: When redirecting audio devices, make sure that the kernel version of your Ubuntu system is 3.2.0-27.43 or later. If you cannot upgrade to this kernel version, you can alternatively disable host access to the audio device. For example, you can add the line " blacklist snd-usb-audio" at the end of the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file. If your system does not meet either of these requirements, the client system might crash when Horizon Client attempts to redirect the audio device. By default, audio devices are redirected.

The following table describes the available USB configuration properties.

Table 1. Configuration Properties for USB Redirection
Policy Name and Property	Description
Allow Auto Device Splitting Property: viewusb.AllowAutoDeviceSplitting	Allow the automatic splitting of composite USB devices. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Exclude Vid/Pid Device From Split Property: viewusb.SplitExcludeVidPid	Excludes a composite USB device specified by vendor and product IDs from splitting. The format of the setting is vid-`xxx1`_pid-`yyy1`[;vid-`xxx2`_pid-`yyy2`]... You must specify ID numbers in hexadecimal. You can use the wildcard character (``) in place of individual digits in an ID. For example: `vid-0781_pid-55*` The default value is undefined.
Split Vid/Pid Device Property: viewusb.SplitVidPid	Treats the components of a composite USB device specified by vendor and product IDs as separate devices. The format of the setting is vid-`xxxx`_pid-`yyyy`([exintf:`zz`[;exintf:`ww` ]])[;...] You can use the exintf keyword to exclude components from redirection by specifying their interface number. You must specify ID numbers in hexadecimal, and interface numbers in decimal including any leading zero. You can use the wildcard character (`*`) in place of individual digits in an ID. For example: `vid-0781_pid-554c(exintf:01;exintf:02)` Note: If the composite device includes components that are automatically excluded, such as mouse and keyboard components, then Horizon does not automatically include the components that you have not explicitly excluded. You must specify a filter policy such as Include Vid/Pid Device to include those components. The default value is undefined.
Allow Audio Input Devices Property: viewusb.AllowAudioIn	Allows audio input devices to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false` because the Real-Time Audio-Video feature is used for audio input and video devices, and USB redirection is not used for those devices by default.
Allow Audio Output Devices Property: viewusb.AllowAudioOut	Allows audio output devices to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Allow HID Property: viewusb.AllowHID	Allows input devices other than keyboards or mice to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `true`.
Allow HIDBootable Property: viewusb.AllowHIDBootable	Allows input devices other than keyboards or mice that are available at boot time (also known as hid-bootable devices) to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `true`.
Allow Device Descriptor Failsafe Property: viewusb.AllowDevDescFailsafe	Allows devices to be redirected even if the Horizon Client fails to get the config/device descriptors. To allow a device even if it fails the config/desc, include it in the Include filters, such IncludeVidPid or IncludePath. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Allow Keyboard and Mouse Devices Property: viewusb.AllowKeyboardMouse	Allows keyboards with integrated pointing devices (such as a mouse, trackball, or touch pad) to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Allow Smart Cards Property: viewusb.AllowSmartcard	Allows smart-card devices to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Allow Video Devices Property: viewusb.AllowVideo	Allows video devices to be redirected. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false` because the Real-Time Audio-Video feature is used for audio input and video devices, and USB redirection is not used for those devices by default.
Disable Remote Configuration Download Property: viewusb.DisableRemoteConfig	Disables the use of Horizon Agent settings when performing USB device filtering. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Exclude All Devices Property: viewusb.ExcludeAllDevices	Excludes all USB devices from being redirected. If set to `true`, you can use other policy settings to allow specific devices or families of devices to be redirected. If set to `false`, you can use other policy settings to prevent specific devices or families of devices from being redirected. If you set the value of Exclude All Devices to `true` on Horizon Agent, and this setting is passed to Horizon Client, the Horizon Agent setting overrides the Horizon Client setting. The default value is undefined, which equates to `false`.
Exclude Device Family Property: viewusb.ExcludeFamily	Excludes families of devices from being redirected. The format of the setting is `family_name_1`[;`family_name_2`]... For example: `bluetooth;smart-card` If you have enabled automatic device splitting, Horizon examines the device family of each interface of a composite USB device to decide which interfaces should be excluded. If you have disabled automatic device splitting, Horizon examines the device family of the whole composite USB device. The default value is undefined.
Exclude Vid/Pid Device Property: viewusb.ExcludeVidPid	Excludes devices with specified vendor and product IDs from being redirected. The format of the setting is vid-`xxx1`_pid-`yyy2`[;vid-`xxx2`_pid-`yyy2`]... You must specify ID numbers in hexadecimal. You can use the wildcard character (``) in place of individual digits in an ID. For example: `vid-0781_pid-***;vid-0561_pid-554c` The default value is undefined.
Exclude Path Property: viewusb.ExcludePath	Exclude devices at specified hub or port paths from being redirected. The format of the setting is bus-`x1`[/`y1`]..._port-`z1`[;bus-`x2`[/`y2`]..._port-`z2`]... You must specify bus and port numbers in hexadecimal. You cannot use the wildcard character in paths. For example: `bus-1/2/3_port-02;bus-1/1/1/4_port-ff` The default value is undefined.
Include Device Family Property: viewusb.IncludeFamily	Includes families of devices that can be redirected. The format of the setting is `family_name_1`[;`family_name_2`]... For example: `storage` The default value is undefined.
Include Path Property: viewusb.IncludePath	Include devices at a specified hub or port paths that can be redirected. The format of the setting is bus-`x1`[/`y1`]..._port-`z1`[;bus-`x2`[/`y2`]..._port-`z2`]... You must specify bus and port numbers in hexadecimal. You cannot use the wildcard character in paths. For example: `bus-1/2_port-02;bus-1/7/1/4_port-0f` The default value is undefined.
Include Vid/Pid Device Property: viewusb.IncludeVidPid	Includes devices with specified vendor and product IDs that can be redirected. The format of the setting is vid-`xxx1`_pid-`yyy2`[;vid-`xxx2`_pid-`yyy2`]... You must specify ID numbers in hexadecimal. You can use the wildcard character (`*`) in place of individual digits in an ID. For example: `vid-0561_pid-554c` The default value is undefined.
Exclude Automatic Forwarding of Device Families Property: viewusb.ExAutoRedirectFamily	Exclude families of devices from being forwarded automatically. The format of the setting is `family_name_1`[;`family_name_2`]... For example: `storage` The default value is undefined.
Exclude Automatic Forwarding of Vid/Pid Device Property: viewusb.ExAutoRedirectVidPid	Excludes devices with specified vendor and product IDs from being forwarded automatically. The format of the setting is vid-`xxx1`_pid-`yyy2`[;vid-`xxx2`_pid-`yyy2`]... You must specify ID numbers in hexadecimal. You can use the wildcard character (`*`) in place of individual digits in an ID. For example: `vid-0561_pid-554c` The default value is undefined.

USB Redirection Examples

Each example is followed by a description of the effect on USB redirection.

Include most devices within the mouse device family.
```
viewusb.IncludeFamily = "mouse" 
viewusb.ExcludeVidPid = "Vid-0461_Pid-0010;Vid-0461_Pid-4d20"
```
The first property in this example tells Horizon Client to allow mouse devices to be redirected to a Horizon desktop. The second property overrides the first and tells Horizon Client to keep two specific mouse devices local and not redirect them.
Turn on automatic device splitting, but exclude one particular device from splitting. For another particular device, keep one of its components local and redirect the other components to the remote desktop:
```
viewusb.AllowAutoDeviceSplitting = "True"
viewusb.SplitExcludeVidPid = "Vid-03f0_Pid-2a12"
viewusb.SplitVidPid = "Vid-0911_Pid-149a(exintf:03)"
viewusb.IncludeVidPid = "Vid-0911_Pid-149a"
```
Composite USB devices consist of a combination of two or more devices, such as a video input device and a storage device. The first property in this example turns on automatic splitting of composite devices. The second property excludes the specified composite USB device (Vid-03f0_Pid-2a12) from splitting.

The third line tells Horizon Client to treat the components of a different composite device (Vid-0911_Pid-149a) as separate devices but to exclude the following component from being redirected: the component whose interface number is 03. This component is kept local.

Because this composite device includes a component that is ordinarily excluded by default, such as a mouse or keyboard, the fourth line is necessary so that the other components of the composite device Vid-0911_Pid-149a can be redirected to the Horizon desktop.

The first three properties are splitting properties. The last property is a filtering property. Filtering properties are processed before splitting properties.

Important: These client configuration properties might be merged with or overridden by corresponding policies set for Horizon Agent on the remote desktop. For information about how USB splitting and filtering properties on the client work in relation to Horizon Agent USB policies, see the topics about using policies to control USB redirection, in the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon document.