If you need to generate the virtual machine memory dump, you can do this from Parallels Desktop. When the virtual machine is running, click the Develop menu in the macOS menu bar and choose Generate Core Dump. For more details on where the dump is stored and how to convert it to the Linux, Windows, or macOS format, please refer to the prlcore2dmp topic here.

Recognizing the diverse needs of software developers, we've crafted a comprehensive toolkit combining powerful plugins, widely-used resources like Packer and Vagrant, and tools designed specifically for an optimal developer experience. Our open-source initiatives, from Visual Studio Code extensions to DevOps instruments, are provided free of charge. We want to foster a collaborative community by making our source code accessible on GitHub and offering a Discord server for peer support and contribution. We believe that collective effort and shared knowledge will help improve both our product and your workflow.

If you don't have enough time to create a new virtual machine with the required configuration, you can download a ready-to-use virtual machine with a predefined configuration.

Downloading Parallels Free Systems

Parallels Free Systems are pre-built virtual machines with a variety of operating systems (Linux, Windows, Android).

To download such a system and use it with Parallels Desktop:

1. Choose File > New.

2. Select the system you need in the Free Systems section, click Continue, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Once the download is complete, you can start working with this system in Parallels Desktop.

This guide contains information about all functions of Parallels Desktop for Macs that are or can be related to software development and testing.

You can start a debugging session directly from Parallels Desktop. When the virtual machine is running, click the Develop menu in the macOS menu bar and choose Start Debugging Session.

The prlsrvctl command-line utility is used to perform management tasks on Parallels Desktop. The tasks include getting the Parallels Desktop information, modifying Parallels Desktop preferences, installing a license, obtaining statistics and problem reports, and others.

The general syntax is as follows:

prlsrvctl command [options] [-v, --verbose number]

The parameters are:

• command: one of the available commands.

• options: command options.

• -v, --verbose number: Show verbose output. The greater the number, the more verbose output will be produced.

The subsequent sections describe the available prlsrvctl commands grouped by functionality.

Parallels Desktop 19 and newer features integration with HashiCorp Packer, where their Parallels Packer builder is now able to create Parallels Desktop virtual machines from ISO images, add and provision software of your choice, and export them in the PVM format. The resulting directory contains all the files required to run the virtual machine portably.

You can find more guides and examples on this page.

If you're working with a virtual machine in the Window or Full-Screen view mode, you can easily and quickly change the virtual machine screen resolution. Simply click the View menu in the macOS menu bar, point to Set Resolution, and choose the screen resolution you need.

If you're working with the virtual machine in Full Screen on multiple displays, the screen resolution is changed on the display where you selected a new resolution.

This section includes information on various integrations that improve your development-related workflows that involve running virtual machines on Parallels Desktop for Mac.

prlsrvctl deactivate-license [--skip-network-errors]

Deactivates the current Parallels Desktop license. The --skip-network-errors option skips network errors and removes the license locally.

For the latest version of Parallels Terraform integration, follow this link.

The prlsrvctl utility returns 0 on success or an error code on failure.

The prlctl utility is used to perform management tasks on virtual machines. The utility supports a full range of tasks from creating and administering virtual machines to getting statistics and generating problem reports.

The general syntax is as follows:

prlctl command <vm_ID | vm_name> [options] [-v, --verbose number]

The parameters are:

• command: one of the available commands.

• vm_ID | vm_name: ID or name of the target virtual machine.

• options: command options.

• -v, --verbose number: Show verbose output. The greater the number, the more verbose output will be produced.

The subsequent sections describe the available prlctl commands grouped by functionality.

In Pro and Business/Enterprise Editions, you can control Parallels Desktop and virtual machines from the command-line interface. Our CLI utilities support the majority of the functions available via the graphical user interface.

The command-line interface includes the following utilities:

• prlsrvctl — the utility is used to manage Parallels Desktop. The tasks include getting general information about Parallels Desktop, modifying Parallels Desktop preferences, getting a list of users, obtaining statistics, installing a license, and others.

• prlctl — the utility is used to manage virtual machines. The tasks include creating and configuring virtual machines, snapshot management, cloning operations, installing Parallels Tools, obtaining statistics, generating problem reports, and many others.

The command-line utilities are installed on a Mac as part of Parallels Desktop installation. You can run the utilities in Terminal.

Note that to get help about a particular command, you can type man <name_of_the_command> in Terminal. This will list the command attributes and additional help.

prlsrvctl shutdown [-f, --force]

Shuts down Parallels Desktop. The command correctly stops all services. The optional -f, --force parameter forcibly shuts down Parallels Desktop and hard-stops services if necessary.

prlsrvctl info

Displays the detailed information about the Parallels Desktop configuration.

Optional parameters

--license

If included, only the Parallels Desktop license information is displayed.

--activation-id

If included, only the license activation ID is displayed.

--deactivation-id

If included, only the license deactivation ID is displayed.

--json

Produces the machine-readable output in JSON format.

prlctl move <vm_id | vm_name> --dst <path>

Moves the files of a specified virtual machine to a location specified in the -dst parameter on the same computer. The command supports moving only stopped and suspended virtual machines.

prlsrvctl user list [-o, --output field [,field...]] [-j, --json]

Lists users currently existing in Parallels Desktop. The -o, --output field [,field...] option is used to display the specified field(s) only.

prlsrvctl user set <--def-vm-home <path>>

Modifies the default virtual machine's location to the specified path.

prlsrvctl update-license

Updates the current Parallels Desktop license.

prlctl delete <vm_id | vm_name>

Deletes a virtual machine. The command removes a virtual machine from Parallels Desktop and permanently deletes all its files from the host computer. Once completed, this operation cannot be reversed.

The prlctl utility is used to perform management tasks on virtual machines. The utility supports a full range of tasks from creating and administering virtual machines to getting statistics and generating problem reports.

The general syntax is as follows:

prlctl command <vm_ID | vm_name> [options] [-v, --verbose number]

The parameters are:

• command: one of the available commands.

• vm_ID | vm_name: ID or name of the target virtual machine.

• options: command options.

• -v, --verbose number: Show verbose output. The greater the number, the more verbose output will be produced.

The subsequent sections describe the available prlctl commands grouped by functionality.

web-portal signin <email>

Sign in to your Parallels account. The <email> parameter specifies your registered email address. When prompted, enter your Parallels account password. You can also specify a file containing the password using an optional parameter (see below).

This command must be used before you activate Parallels Desktop Pro or Standard editions from the command line using the install-license command.

Optional parameters

-p,--read-passwd <path>

Specifies a text file with your Parallels account password.

Related commands

web-portal signout

Signs you out of your Parallels account.

info --web-portal

Displays the information about whether you are signed in to your Parallels account and lists details if you are.

prlctl installtools <vm_id | vm_name>

Installs Parallels Tools in the specified virtual machine. To use this command, the target virtual machine must be running.

This section describes Parallels Desktop license management tasks.

You can build and distribute your portable development environments based on Parallels Desktop for Mac using the officially supported Parallels provider which is available for free from here.

Once you have the latest versions of Parallels Desktop for Mac and Vagrant installed, use this command to install the integration plugin:

$ vagrant plugin install vagrant-parallels

You can set up your Vagrant-managed virtual machine by following this guide.

When a virtual machine operating in the shared networking mode sends a DNS request, the request is now resolved also using the macOS etc/hosts file.

For example, if your macOS etc/hosts file contains the following entry:

1.2.3.5         testh

and you start pinging testh in a virtual machine, the guest OS will check the macOS etc/hosts file first and start pinging 1.2.3.5.

When creating a virtual machine in Parallels Desktop Pro or Business/Enterprise Edition, the setup process includes a page where you can choose the primary use case, like software development or software testing.

However, you can later change the optimization profile of an already existing virtual machine by doing the following:

1. Start Parallels Desktop.

2. In Control Center, right-click the virtual machine (it must be shut down) and choose Configure.

3. On the General tab, click Change.

4. Select the profile that best fits your needs.

In software development, it may be beneficial to simulate various network conditions (low speeds, high packet loss, etc.) to see how your app behaves and eliminate potential sources of complaints. Parallels Desktop allows you to do just that by applying machine-specific connection profiles that mimic popular scenarios. To choose from a variety of preset options, do the following:

1. In Parallels Desktop Control Center, right-click on the required virtual machine and choose Configure.

2. Switch to the Hardware tab and choose Network from the list on the left.

3. Use the Profile drop-down menu to select one of the preset scenarios.

4. Alternatively, click on Configure to manually adjust speeds, pings, and packet loss percentages as required.

Both Arm and x86 versions support establishing a Serial port connection over TCP. Ports open on the host machine and do not depend on the guest VM's network settings.

Serial over TCP can be used for remote debugging of VMs. You will need to set up your VM as a Server if you want to debug it or as a Client if you want to use it to debug other machines. Begin by choosing New Socket from the Source drop-down menu and type in tcp://0.0.0.0:2020 for the Server role or tcp://127.0.0.1:2020 for the Client role. Use the Mode drop-down menu to choose the appropriate role. IPv6 is also supported, so you can set up the Server as tcp://[::]:2020 and the Client as tcp://[fe80::1023:163b:ef12:d40e%eth0]:2020.

Parallels provides a Visual Studio Code extension that can help you manage a wide range of operations for your Parallels Desktop virtual machines, creating, grouping, operating their snapshots and containers. It is integrated with HashiCorp Vagrant and Packer to automate your workflows.

To install the extension:

1. Launch Visual Studio Code;

2. Use Shift+Command+X to launch the extension section;

3. Use the search box to find "Parallels Desktop" and install the extension.

Learn how to make the most use of the extension by reading the detailed guide .

Parallels Desktop DevOps Service enables you to manage and orchestrate multiple Parallels Desktop hosts and virtual machines. It will allow you to create, start, stop and delete virtual machines and will also allow you to manage the hosts that are running the virtual machines.

Licensing

You can use the service for free with up to 10 users, without needing any Parallels Desktop Business or Enterprise Edition license. However, if you want to continue using the service beyond 10 users, you will need to purchase a Parallels Desktop Business or Enterprise license.

However, if you already have a Parallels Desktop for Mac Business or Enterprise Edition license, the DevOps service does not cost you extra.

Architecture

The Parallels Desktop DevOps is a service that is written in Go and designed to provide some of the missing remote management tools for virtual machines running remotely in Parallels Desktop. It uses Rest API to execute the necessary steps. It also has RBAC (Role Based Access Control) to allow for a secure way of managing virtual machines. You can manage most of the operations for a Virtual Machine Lifecycle.

Installation and Configuration

To install and configure the DevOps service, follow the dedicated guide .

prlsrvctl install-license <-k, --key <key>>

Installs a Parallels Desktop license. The -k, --key <key> parameter specifies a Parallels Desktop license key to install.

Optional parameters

-n, --name <name>

The license owner's name.

-c, --company <name>

The license company name.

--activate-online-immediately

Activates the license over the Internet immediately.

If you're using Chef to provision your Parallels virtual machines or host systems running Parallels Desktop, you can check in the recipe that the type of system virtualization being used is virtualization from Parallels. To do this, use the node['virtualization'] attribute. This attribute is set by during the chef-client run.

You will see the following in the host system:

And the following in the guest system:

Starting from Parallels Desktop 19, users of Pro and Business editions can run x86-64 binaries in Linux virtual machines on Mac computers powered by Apple Silicon. One of the most obvious benefits of this is the ability to run x86 Docker containers in Linux virtual machines.

When you start a virtual machine operating in the or networking mode, and it gets an IP address assigned via DHCP, the virtual machine gets registered in the macOS etc/hosts file, and you can use its name to connect from the host operating system or other virtual machines operating in the or networking mode.

For example, after starting such a virtual machine, your etc/hosts file may look as follows:

You can use the virtual machine name (windows-11.shared) to connect to this virtual machine. For example, if you execute the following command in the macOS Terminal:

, you will start pinging 10.211.55.3.

When such a virtual machine is shut down, its registration entry is removed from the

prlsrvctl usb list [-j, --json] [-c, --compat] [-a, --all]

Lists USB devices installed on the server together with the information on their assignments for the current user. In the compat mode all known USB devices are listed, showing the device name, device ID and autoconnect options. In the new mode (without the [-c, --compat] option), some additional information about the device is shown, such as whether the device is connected to a VM at the current moment. By default, only currently plugged to host devices are shown. To see all devices, call with the [-a, --all] option.

prlsrvctl usb set <usb_dev_id> <vm_uuid | vm_name> | [--autoconnect <ask | host>] | [--vm <vm_uuid | vm_name

prlctl convert <path>

This command is used to convert a third-party virtual machine to a Parallels virtual machine. The <path> parameter specifies a path to the original virtual machine.

Syntax 1

prlctl list

Lists existing virtual machines. By default (when no parameters are included), only running VMs are displayed.

Optional parameters

-a, --all

Lists all existing virtual machines regardless of their state (running, stopped, suspended, etc.).

Registering a Virtual Machine

prlctl register <path>

Registers a virtual machine in Parallels Desktop. The <path> parameter specifies a path to the virtual machine file.

prlctl start <vm_id | vm_name>

Starts the specified virtual machine. The start command can be used to start a stopped virtual machine or to resume a paused virtual machine.

prlctl resume <vm_id | vm_name>

Resumes the specified virtual machine.

prlctl pause <vm_id | vm_name>

--videosize <num>

Sets the amount of memory for the virtual machine graphic card (in megabytes).

--3d-accelerate <off | highest | dx9>

prlctl clone <vm_id | vm_name> --name <new_name>

Clones (makes an exact copy of) a specified virtual machine. The -name <new_name> parameter specifies a name to give to the new virtual machine.

Optional Parameters

--template

Make the new virtual machine a template.

--dst

Set the path to the directory where the virtual machine files will be stored. If omitted, the default location will be used.

--regenerate-src-uuid

Regenerate the virtual machine source ID (the SMBIOS product ID will also be changed).

--linked

Create a linked clone.

-i, --id <snapid>

Create a linked clone based on a snapshot with a given snapid.

To check a virtual machine for linked clones, use the prlctl list -i command and look under the Linked Clones section.

--detach-external-hdd <yes | no>

Specifies what to do with hard disks located outside the source virtual machine file. If you specify yes, outside hard disks will be removed from the destination VM. If you specify no, outside hard disks will remain in the new VM. Please note that in either case, the outside hard disks will NOT be copied to the destination.

--auto-share-camera <on | off>

Enables or disables automatic Web camera sharing.

--support-usb30 <on | off>

Enables or disables USB 3.0 support.

prlsrvctl problem-report <-d, --dump | -s, --send [--proxy <user[:password]@proxyhost[:port]> | --no-proxy]>

Generates a problem report. If the -s, --send option is specified, sends the report to Parallels. The --proxy parameter specifies Internet proxy settings if you are using one to connect to the Internet.

Optional parameters

--stand-alone

Assembles a report without connecting to the Parallels Desktop service.

--name <user_name>

Appends the user name to the report.

--email <user_email>

Appends the user email address to the report.

--description <problem_description>

Appends a free-form description to the report.

prlctl capture <vm_id | vm_name> --file <name>

Captures a screen area of a virtual machine to a file in PNG format. The --file <name> parameter specifies the target file name and path.

prlctl reclaim-disk <vm_id> [--estimate] [--allow-shutdown] [--json]

Optimizes the virtual machine's disk file to reduce the disk space it occupies. Use this command when you have just deleted a large amount of files and need to free up space urgently; otherwise, normal procedures (e.g., TRIM on Windows machines) will suffice.

To proceed with this operation, the virtual machine must be shut down first. Applying the --allow-shutdown parameter will shut down a running virtual machine before the reclaim operation is performed.

When used with the --estimate parameter, will only provide the estimated size but will not actually reclaim any space. Adding --json in conjunction will change the output to JSON.

--device-bootorder <"name1 name2 ...">

Specifies the order of boot devices for the virtual machine. Supported devices are HDD, CD/DVD, or external storage. A device name can be obtained using the prlctl list -i command.

--efi-boot <on | off>

This sets the EFI boot options. Specify on to boot using the EFI firmware, or specify off to boot using the BIOS firmware (the default).

--select-boot-device <on | off>

Enables or disables selecting a boot device at the virtual machine startup.

--external-boot-device <name>

Sets an external device from which to boot the virtual machine.

--smart-mouse-optimize <auto | on | off>

Sets smart mouse optimization mode.

--sticky-mouse <on | off>

Enables or disables the sticky mouse option.

--keyboard-optimize <auto | accessibility | on | off>

Sets a keyboard optimization mode.

This section describes prlctl set command options that you can use to configure a virtual machine.

The general syntax is as follows:

prlctl set <vm_id | vm_name> [options]

The prlctl set command is used to modify the configuration of a virtual machine and manage virtual machine devices and shared folders. The subsequent subsections describe parameters and options that can be used with this command to perform a variety of virtual machine configuration management tasks.

prlctl status <vm_id | vm_name>

Displays the status of the specified virtual machine.

--sync-host-printers <on | off>

Enables or disables using host printers in Windows guests (starting from Windows 2000).

--sync-default-printer <on | off>

Synchronizes host's default printer with Windows default printer.

prlctl enter <vm_id | vm_name>

Logs in to the virtual machine. The command creates a command prompt channel to a virtual machine and allows you to execute commands in it. Parallels Tools must be installed in the virtual machine.

Optional Parameters

--current-user or --user <user_name>

Include the --current-user option to log in as the user currently logged in inside the guest OS, or use the --user parameter and specify a user name.

--password <password>

The user password.

prlctl exec <vm_id | vm_name> <command>

Executes a command inside a virtual machine. Parallels Tools must be installed in the virtual machine. Commands in Linux guests are invoked with bash -c.

Optional Parameters

--current-user or --user <user_name>

Include the --current-user option to log in as the user currently logged in inside the guest OS; or use the --user parameter and specify a user name.

--password <password>

The user password

-r, --resolve-paths

Enable converting host paths to guest.

--expiration <<on|off>|date:<yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ss>|time-check:<seconds>|offline-time:<seconds>|time-server:<url>|note:<text>>

Expiration date parameters:

on|off: Enables or disables expiration date checking.

date: Sets a date and time when the virtual machine usage period expires (e.g., 2024-12-31T20:30:00).

time-check: Sets how often (in seconds) Parallels Desktop contacts the time server to check the expiration date and time.

offline-time: Sets the time period (in seconds) during which a user can work with the virtual machine if Parallels Desktop is unable to check the expiration date and time.

time-server: Specifies the URL of a trusted time server to check the expiration date and time.

note: Adds a note (e.g., system administrator contact info).

prlctl archive <vm_id | vm_name>

Archives the specified virtual machine bundle.

prlctl unarchive <vm_id | vm_name>

Unarchives the specified virtual machine bundle.

--cpus <num>

Sets the number of CPUs to be available to the virtual machine.

--memsize <num>

Sets the amount of memory for the virtual machine (in megabytes).

--faster-vm <on | off>

Sets the performance mode: faster virtual machine or faster host.

--adaptive-hypervisor <on | off>

Enables or disables the adaptive hypervisor.

--disable-winlogo <on | off>

Enables or disables the Windows logo.

--auto-compress <on | off>

Enables or disables automatic compression of virtual disks.

--nested-virt <on | off>

Enables or disables nested virtualization.

--pmu-virt <on | off>

Enables or disables PMU virtualization.

--longer-battery-life <on | off>

Sets a power option: longer battery life or better performance.

--battery-status <on | off>

Shows or hides battery status.

This command adds USB support to a virtual machine, making the USB & Bluetooth configuration options available.

--device-add usb

--winsystray-in-macmenu <on | off>

Shows the Windows notification area in the Mac menu bar.

--auto-switch-fullscreen <on | off>

Allows applications to auto-switch to full screen.

--disable-aero <on | off>

Enables or disables Windows Aero.

--hide-min-windows <on | off>

Allows to hide minimized windows.

prlctl protection-set <vm_id | vm_name>

Protects the specified encrypted virtual machine expiration date settings with a password.

prlctl protection-remove <vm_id | vm_name>

Disables password protection of the specified encrypted virtual machine expiration date settings.

prlctl snapshot <vm_id | vm_name>

Creates a virtual machine snapshot.

Optional Parameters

-n, --name <name>

A snapshot name. If omitted, a default name will be used.

-d, --description <desc>

A snapshot description.

prlctl snapshot-list <vm_id | vm_name> [{-t,--tree] | [-i,--id <snapid>}] [-j, json]

Lists the virtual machine snapshot tree. There are three modes of snapshot listing:

• If the -t, --tree option is specified, the tree is displayed using ASCII graphics.

• If the -i, --id <snapid> option is specified, the specified snapshot information is displayed.

• If no option is specified, the snapshot tree is displayed as a table with two columns: PARENT_SNAPSHOT_ID, SNAPSHOT_ID.

The optional -j, --json parameter produces an output in JSON format.

prlctl monitor-events

[<vm_id | vm_name>] [--utc] [--json]

Lists events from a specified virtual machine, or, if a virtual machine name/ID is not provided, from all registered virtual machines. The default time in the timestamps is local time.

Optional Parameters

--utc

Prints the time stamp in UTC instead of local time (which is default).

--json

Prints the event data in JSON format instead of plain-text format (which is default).

The following options can be used with the prlctl set command to manage devices:

• --device-add — add a new device.

• --device-set — modify an existing device.

• --device-del — delete (remove) a device.

• --device-connect — connect a device.

• --device-disconnect — disconnect a device.

Only one option can be specified in a single command.

Adding a Virtual FDD

The command adds a virtual floppy disk drive based on a file image.

--device-add fdd --image <image> [--recreate]

Modifying a Virtual FDD

--device-set <fdd_name> --image <image> [--recreate]

Parameters

fdd_name: The name of the FDD to modify. To obtain the list of the available drives, use the prlctl list --info command.

--image: specifies the image file.

--recreate: if included, recreates the image file if it exists.

The general syntax for adding a device is as follows:

prlctl set <vm_id | vm_name> --device-add <hdd | cdrom | net | fdd | serial | parallel | sound | usb> [device_options]

To modify a device:

prlctl set <vm_id | vm_name> --device-set <device_name> [device_options]

The subsequent sections describe options and parameters for each device type.

To delete a device:

prlctl set <vm_id | vm_name> --device-del <hdd | cdrom | net | fdd | serial | parallel | sound | usb> [device_options]

prlctl encrypt <vm_id | vm_name> [--dry-run]

Encrypts the specified virtual machine. You can use the the --dry-run option to check preconditions for successful encryption. The encrypt command will encrypt the specified virtual machine and all its data. A user will be prompted to enter an encryption password after the command is executed. The password will be required to decrypt the virtual machine later. The encryption password can be modified for an encrypted virtual machine using the change-passwd command (see below).

prlctl decrypt <vm_id | vm_name> [--dry-run]

Decrypts the specified encrypted virtual machine. You can use the --dry-run option to check preconditions for successful decryption. The decrypt command will decrypt the specified virtual machine. A user will have to enter a password that was specified when the virtual machine was encrypted.

prlctl change-passwd <vm_id | vm_name>

Changes the encryption password for the specified virtual machine. A user will be asked to enter the current and the new password.

Adding a Parallel Port

--device-add parallel {--device <name> | --output <file>}

Modify a parallel port

--device-set <port_name> {--device <name> | --output <file>}

Parameters

port_name: the name of the port to modify (--device-set command only). To obtain the list of the available ports, use the prlctl list --info command.

--device: the parallel port number on the host computer that will be used by the virtual machine.

--output: the path to the file where the output of the virtual parallel port will be sent.

Congratulations on keeping such hardware in working order.

Connecting a Physical FDD

-device-add fdd [--device <real_name>]

Parameters

--device: specifies a physical floppy disk drive name.

prlctl snapshot-delete <vm_id | vm_name> -i, --id <snapid>

Deletes a virtual machine snapshot. The -i, --id <snapid> parameter specifies the ID of the snapshot to delete.

Optional Parameters

-c, --children

If included, all child snapshots of the specified snapshot will be deleted.

Adding a Sound Card

--device-add sound --output <name> --input <name>

Parameters

--ouput: the name of a physical output device to which to connect the virtual sound card.

--input: the name of the physical input device to which to connect the virtual sound card.

prl_disk_tool is a standalone utility (included with Parallels Desktop) used to optimize Parallels virtual machine disk space.

Parameters

prl_disk_tool compact [--buildmap] -hdd <disk_name> [--force] [-comm <memory_name>]

prl_disk_tool compact i,info --hdd <disk_name> [comm <memory_name>]

The prl_disk_tool compact command removes all empty blocks from expanding Parallels virtual drives and reduces the space they occupy on your host machine. Compacting is performed by scanning file systems for unused clusters and cleaning the corresponding disk blocks. The supported file systems are NTFS, FAT16/32, ext2/ext3. You can also try to compact disks with unsupported file system types using the --buildmap option.

prlctl snapshot-switch <vm_id | vm_name> -i, --id <snapid> [--skip-resume]

Reverts the specified virtual machine to the specified snapshot. The -i, --id <snapid> parameter specifies the ID of a snapshot to revert to.

If the optional --skip-resume parameter is included, the virtual machine will not be started if it was running when the snapshot was taken.

This section describes command used to manage virtual machine snapshots.

prlctl guest-debugger <vm_id | vm_name> [--port <port>]

Allows you to connect the debugger to a running virtual machine via the specified port. The debugger must be installed on the same computer where the virtual machine is running.

This section describes various other prlctl commands.

The prlctl utility returns 0 on success or an error code on failure.

Nested virtualization implies running a virtual machine inside of another virtual machine.

To toggle between the Apple's and Parallels's hypervisors, do the following:

1. Open Parallels Desktop, right-click on the required virtual machine and choose Configure.

2. Switch to the Hardware tab and choose CPU & Memory from the list on the left.

3. Click Advanced, and use the Hypervisor drop-down menu to choose Parallels.

4. Check the Enable nested virtualization box.

5. Click OK.

Typical Use Scenarios

When enabled, this functionality allows you to run:

• Hyper-V virtual machines inside Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 virtual machines;

• VMware ESXi virtual machines;

• Xen and kernel-based virtual machines in versions of Linux that support Xen and KVM.

If you use Parallels virtual machines to build, debug, and test applications, enable nested virtualization to install and work in:

• Android emulator for Visual Studio;

• iPhone emulator for Visual Studio;

• Xamarin.Android;

prlsrvctl set

The prlsrvctl set command is used to modify Parallels Desktop preferences. The available parameters and options are described below.

Parameters

--mem-limit <auto | size>

prlsrvctl net info <vnetwork_id>

Displays a detailed information about the specified virtual network.

prlsrvctl net list [-j, --json]

Lists existing virtual networks.

prlctl send-key-event <VM ID> -k,--key <key> | -s,--scancode <scancode> [-e,--event <press|release>] [-d,--delay <msec>]

Sends a single keyboard event (key press or release) identified with a specific key code or scancode to a specified virtual machine with a specified delay (in milliseconds). For the complete list of key codes, see . See examples .

prlctl send-key-event <VM ID> -j,--json

Sends a sequence of keyboard events by reading JSON input from stdin. An example of the format is:

--smart-mount <on | off>

Enables or disables shared volumes.

--shared-profile <on | off>

Enables or disables shared profile.

--shared-cloud <on | off>

Enables or disables shared cloud.

Connect a Physical Drive

--device-add hdd --device <real_name> [--iface <ide | scsi | sata>] [--passthr <yes | no>]

[--position <

A shared folder is a host OS folder that can be accessed from a virtual machine.

--shf-host <on | off>

Enables or disables sharing the user-defined host OS folders with guest OS.

--shf-host-add <name> --path <path> [--mode <ro | rw>] [--shf-description <desc>]

[--enable

--name <name>

Changes the virtual machine name.

--description <desc>

Sets the virtual machine description.

--distribution <name | list>

Sets the virtual machine OS version(s) family.

Adding a Serial Port

Adding a Hard Drive

--device-add hdd [--image <image_name>] [--type <expand | plain>] [--size <n>] [--split]

[--iface <ide | scsi

Connecting a Physical Optical Drive

--device-add cdrom --device <name> [--iface <ide | scsi | sata>] [--passthr <yes | no>]

[--position

The options described here are common for all types of devices.

--device-connect <device_name>

Connects the specified device to a running virtual machine. The device can be of type fdd, cdrom, sound, or net. To obtain a device name, use the prlctl list -i command.

--device-disconnect <device_name>

Disconnects the specified device from a running virtual machine.

--device-set <

Adding an Optical Drive

prlctl problem-report <vm_id | vm_name>

<-d, --dump | -s, --send [--proxy [user [:password] @proxyhost [:port]]] [--no-proxy]>

Generates a problem report. If the -s, --send option is specified, the report is sent to Parallels. Otherwise, it is dumped to stdout.

prlctl debug-dump <vm_id | vm_name>

[--name <dump_file_name>] [--path <output_directory_path>]

Creates a virtual machine dump in ELF format and saves it to a file. The resulting dump file can be opened with the Linux crash utility or (with some limitations) with the GDB debugger.

--autostart <off | open-window | start-app | start-host | user-login>

Sets the virtual machine autostart options:

off: The virtual machine is started manually.

open-window: The virtual machine starts when its window opens.

start-app: The virtual machine starts when Parallels Desktop starts.

start-host: The virtual machine is started automatically on the host boot.

user-login: The virtual machine is started automatically on user logon.

--autostart-delay <n>

Sets the delay of the virtual machine autostart on host boot to n seconds.

--autostop <stop | suspend | shutdown>

Specifies what should happen to the virtual machine on host shutdown.

--startup-view <same | window | coherence | fullscreen | modality | headless>

Sets the virtual machine startup view options:

same: Same as the last time

window: Normal window

coherence: Coherence

fullscreen: Full screen

modality: Modality

headless: Headless

--on-shutdown <window | close | quit>

Sets the virtual machine shutdown options:

window: The virtual machine window stays open after the virtual machine is shut down.

close: The virtual machine window closes after the virtual machine is shut down.

quit: Parallels Desktop quits after the virtual machine is shut down.

--on-window-close <suspend | shutdown | stop | ask | keep-running>

Sets the virtual machine window close options:

suspend: The virtual machine is suspended after its window is closed.

shutdown: The virtual machine is shut down after its window is closed.

stop: The virtual machine is forcibly stopped after its window is closed.

ask: Ask the user what to do: suspend, shut down, or stop the virtual machine.

keep-running: The virtual machine is kept running after its window is closed.

--pause-idle <on | off>

Enables or disables pausing of an idle virtual machine.

--undo-disks <off | discard | ask>

Sets the virtual machine undo disks options:

off: Undo disks mech is off.

discard: Discard all changes made in the virtual machine after it is stopped.

ask: Ask the user what to do: apply changes or discard them after the virtual machine is stopped.

--time-sync <on | off>

Enables or disables the virtual machine time synchronization.

--disable-timezone-sync <on | off>

Enables or disables timezone synchronization. Enable this option to sync only UTC time without timezone synchronization.

--keystroke-forwarding <on | off>

Allows limited keystroke forwarding from the virtual machine to the host Mac apps to enable specific enterprise software workflows.

--sync-vm-hostname <on | off>

Enables or disables synchronization of the virtual machine name and hostname in the guest OS. Supported only for Linux guests.

--sync-ssh-ids <on | off>

Enables or disables synchronization of macOS SSH public keys with those from the guest OS "authorized_keys" file.

This feature is similar to the ssh-copy-id(1) utility. When enabled, all macOS SSH public keys are added to the guest OS "authorized_keys" file. This allows users to log in to the guest OS via SSH without having to enter the password.

The following SSH keys are synced:

- When a user creates a new SSH key pair in macOS, the public key is also added to the guest OS.

- When a user removes a public key from macOS, this key is also removed from the guest OS.

The details of the current implementation:

- Public key synchronization is currently available for Linux guests only.

- Public key synchronization works if the guest OS user has the same name in macOS or the user is the only regular user of the guest system.

The public key is synced in the following cases:

- After Parallels Tools are installed.

- After booting or rebooting the guest OS.

- After the virtual machine resumes.

- After the public key synchronization feature is enabled/disabled.

Additional information:

- If the feature is disabled, all macOS SSH public keys are removed from the guest OS.

- The "authorized_keys" file and public keys are searched only in the "~/.ssh" directory.

- SSH authorization certificates are not supported.

--show-dev-tools <on | off>

Enables or disables show developer tools in the menu.

--swipe-from-edges <on | off>

Enables or disables edge swipe gestures.

--rename-ext-disks

Renames external virtual hard drive bundles using the virtual machine name.

Syntax 1

prlctl create <vm_name> --ostemplate <name>

Creates a virtual machine from the specified virtual machine template. The --ostemplate <name> parameter specifies the source template name. To obtain the list of available templates, use the prlctl list -t command.

Optional parameters

--dst

A path to the directory where the virtual machine files will be stored. If omitted, the default location will be used.

Syntax 2

prlctl create <vm_name> [-o,--ostype <name | list>]

Creates a virtual machine and optimizes it for the OS type specified in the --ostype option. If the --ostype parameter is omitted, the virtual machine is optimized for Windows 11 by default. If you want to optimize the virtual machine for a different OS type, use the list option to get the list of available OS types: prlctl create vm_name -o list, then select a desired OS type name and use it as a value of the -o parameter.

Syntax 3

prlctl create <vm_name> -d,--distribution <name | list>

Creates a virtual machine and optimizes it for the OS distribution specified in the --distribution option. Use the list option to get the list of available distributions: prlctl create vm_name -d list, then select a desired distribution name and use it as a value of the -o parameter.

Common optional parameters

--no-hdd

Create a virtual machine without hard disk drives.

Creating a x86_64 Virtual Machine on Apple Silicon Macs

Starting from Parallels Desktop for Mac version 20.2.0, it has become possible to create x86_64 virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs in emulation mode. To create one, download an ISO installation image of an x86_64 operating system and execute the following three commands in macOS Terminal:

For the possible <distro> values, execute the following command:

prlctl create test -d help

The value for Windows 10 is <win-10>.

Consult for the latest list of supported operating systems.

Creating a macOS Virtual Machine

To create a macOS virtual machine, a .ipsw file with a macOS installation image, and execute the command with the following parameters:

prlctl create <macOS_VM_name> -o macos --restore-image <path to the .ipsw file>

E.g., prlctl create "macOS_beta" -o macos --restore-image /Users/{user_account}/Downloads/UniversalMac_14.5_23F79_Restore.ipsw

Creating a macOS Virtual Machine with a Customized Virtual Hard Drive Size

By default, the virtual machine is created with 64GB of disk space. If you want to create a machine with a different disk size, the process is slightly different:

1. Having downloaded an .ipsw installation file, run the following command: prlctl create <macOS_VM_name> -o macos --no-hdd --restore-image <path to the .ipsw file> This command will create a virtual machine shell with no hard drive.

2. Use the following command to add a virtual hard drive and specify its size (in megabytes): prlctl set <macOS_VM_name> --device-add hdd --type plain --size <size_in_megabytes> e.g., prlctl set "macOS15.5_test"

For setting additional parameters like RAM size or the number of virtual CPUs, refer to of the guide.

Creating a macOS Virtual Machine in Parallels Desktop Version 18 and Earlier

1. Fetch the .ipsw file download URL by executing the following command in the Terminal: /Applications/Parallels\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/prl_macvm_create --getipswurl

2. Copy the resulting URL and open it in your browser to download the .ipsw file.

3. Once the file has been downloaded, execute the following command in the Terminal: /Applications/Parallels\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/prl_macvm_create <path_to_ipsw> <path_to_macVM> --disksize <size_in_bytes> E.g., /Applications/Parallels\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/prl_macvm_create ~/Downloads/UniversalMac_13.3_22E252_Restore.ipsw ~/Parallels/macOS.macvm

Adding a Network Adapter

--device-add net --type <shared | bridged | host-only> [--iface <name>] [--mac <addr | auto>]

[--ipadd <addr [/

--require-pwd <exit-fullscreen | change-vm-state | manage-snapshots | change-guest-pwd | change-vm-config>:<on | off>

Require an administrator password to perform a corresponding action. Use --allow-to-confirm to make the system ask for username and password.

--require-custom-pwd <exit-fullscreen | change-vm-state | manage-snapshots | change-guest-pwd | change-vm-config>:<on | off>

By default, Parallels Desktop for Mac supports GDB for debugging virtual machines. However, there is a way to enable KDBG support and allow the use of clients like WinDbg or KD.

Known Limitations and Unsupported Commands

The current implementation of KDBG support in Parallels Desktop for Mac can only be used as a raw debugger, with little to no connection with the kernel itself.

The following commands are not supported or have limited support for now:

• Software breakpoints (not supported).

• Read and write I/O ports (not supported).

• Read and write bus data (not supported).

Enabling KDBG Support in Parallels Desktop

To enable KDBG support, you have to manually edit the configuration file for the target machine:

1. In the Control Center, right-click on the target machine and select Show in Finder.

2. Right-click on the virtual machine's .pvm file and select Show Package Contents.

3. Right-click on the config.pvs file, select Open With

Here are the system flags that you may want to use:

Here is an example of a configuation:

This configuration implies a host located at 192.168.1.205 using a pre-shared encryption key aaaaaaaaaaaa.bbbbbbbbbbbb.cccccccccccc.dddddddddddd to debug a target at 192.168.1.189 via port 50000.

You may forgo explicitly specifying the host address, in which case you will have to specify the target's address in the debugging software that you use, prompting the host to send a special "poke" packet first to help the target identify it.

Following a reboot, the target machine will start sending packets to the host, ready to be debugged.

What Happens When the Connection Gets Interrupted

KDBG protocol doesn’t have a mechanism to terminate a connection, so the Parallels implementation forces the disconnect after 16 bad packets, or no packets at all for 10 minutes.

Since all traffic is encrypted using a data channel/session key, attemting to reestablish a dropped connection is not feasible.

Since UDP is not the most reliable protocol, the data channel may sometimes get out of sync, in which case the debugger appears to freeze. When that happens, the only way to fix it is to wait for the 10 minutes for a forced disconnection.

Most Common Commands

These are the most common commands that you can use and that are supported:

• r - read/write registers. Ex.: “r”, “r x0 = 0”

• u - unassemble. Ex.: “u pc”

• d - display memory. Ex.: “d sp”, “db sp” (display as bytes), “dw sp” (display as words)

This table contains the numeric values for the key events used in the -k option of the prlctl send-key-event command.