URL Scheme Basics

Parallels Client URL scheme allows you to perform actions and programmatically interact with the Parallels Client installed on a user device. The actions include the following:

• Automatic configuration of Parallels RAS or RDP connection in Parallels Client using predefined settings.

• User Authentication.

• Launch of published resources (application, desktop, document, etc.) from a web page or another application.

• User session log off from a specific RAS server of from all current sessions on all servers.

There are currently two URL schemes used in Parallels RAS: tuxclient:// and prlclient://. Depending on the platform on which Parallels Client is running, the following URL schemes are used:

Platform	URL scheme
Windows	tuxclient://
Linux	tuxclient://
macOS	tuxclient://
iOS	tuxclient:// and prlclient://
Android	tuxclient:// and prlclient://
Chrome	Not supported

Note that the tuxclient scheme is kept for backwards compatibility with older Parallels Clients. In the future, the prlclient scheme may replace it in all versions of Parallels Client. At this time, use the scheme that is supported on a given platform. If both are supported, you can use one or the other -- the usage, including command options, is exactly the same.

When Parallels Client is installed on a device, it registers the Parallels Client URL scheme with the operating system, which tells a web browser what to do when the user opens such a URL. In this instance, the web browser will open Parallels Client passing to it the parameters that the URL contains. Parallels Client will process the parameters and will perform actions according to received instructions.

The following describes a typical Parallels Client URL scheme usage scenario:

1. Suppose you want to create an application hub or a web portal from where users can launch applications published in Parallels RAS.

2. You first compose a URL according to specifications, which are described in detail later in this chapter. The URL string begins with the Parallels Client URL scheme followed by the necessary parameters depending on the task and configuration options. For example, prlclient:///?Command=LaunchApp&AppID=2360&.... (the complete URL is not shown for brevity).

3. You then publish the URL on a third-party web portal where end users can use it to launch a published resource.

A user logs in to the web portal and clicks the URL. This opens Parallels Client, which processes the parameters contained in the URL and performs actions according to these parameters (configures a connection, authenticates the user, launches an app, etc.).

Note that if Parallels Client is not installed on a user device, nothing will happen because the URL scheme is unknown to the operating system and no application is associated with it. This only means that Parallels Client must be installed before making use of the custom scheme URL.