# Serial Port Settings

In the **Serial Port** pane, you can view and configure the virtual machine serial port settings.

To open these settings, choose **Actions** > **Configure** > **Hardware**, then click **Serial Port**. If Serial Port is not present, click **+** to add one, then follow the directions below to configure it.

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<table><thead><tr><th width="114">Option</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Source</strong></td><td><p>In the <strong>Source</strong> field, select the source device that emulates this serial port:</p><ul><li><strong>Physical Serial Port</strong>. To connect the virtual machine serial port to one of the existing serial ports on your Mac, choose the appropriate port.</li><li><strong>Socket</strong>. To connect two virtual machines through the sockets, choose the appropriate socket. If there are no sockets available, click <strong>New socket</strong> and specify its name in the <strong>Enter a socket name</strong> field. You should also configure the role the virtual machine will play in the connection by selecting the necessary role in the <strong>Mode</strong> list. Selecting <strong>Server</strong> enables you to use this virtual machine to direct the other one. Selecting <strong>Client</strong> enables you to direct this virtual machine from the other one.</li><li><strong>Output File</strong>. To connect the virtual machine serial port to an output file, choose the appropriate output file or click <strong>Choose an output file</strong> to locate the necessary file.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>