Access VMs for other user accounts on MacBook Pro?

I have installed Parallels on my MacBook Pro but cannot run Parallels virtual machine on other user accounts on MacBook Pro. I have tried repeatedly to copy the VM, but I cannot. So, other users cannot now use the Parallels VM unless they operate under my user account. Advice? Suggestions? This is the message I receive when invoking Parallels through another user's account:

Unable to get geometry of virtual hard disk. Perhaps file /users/Diane/Parallels/winxp/winxp.hdd is not a valid virtual hard disk image file.

Am I the only one who thinks Parallels is not nearly the prize everyone says it is?

 

Probably.

The rest of us know that your problem is a permissions issue with OSX and has nothing to do with Parallels, and that it's an issue that has been asked about and answered several times in this forum.

The reality is, unfortunately, that using a product such as Parallels requires some technical knowledge of both the Mac and the guest OS, and complaining about the product because you don't have that knowledge is a bit like buying an airplane and complaining that it's poorly designed because you can't fly it without learning how.

Place your VM in a folder to which all users you wish to use it have read / write access, and change the permissions on the VM files to match and you will be able to use Parallels from other accounts.

If you don't know how to do that, you have an OSX problem, not a Parallels problem and should get a UNIX book.

Or you could search the forum and probably find a more detailed set of instructions.

 

http://forums.parallels.com/thread5586.html

 

I have been using VM's on my iMac for a long time, using it in different accounts.

I put the Parallels folder into the users > shared section and it is then accessible by anyone from any account.

You will have to do a get into on the Parallels folder and change the permissions so that 'everyone' has 'read and write' ability, and make sure you apply the changes to all items in the folder.

 

Seems it would be easy for Parallels to integrate a "Share this VM" option, that would place the VM in the shared folder and change the permissions.

 

The error message could be more descriptive.

I've copied (and cloned) some VMs to a server share on which I have full rw permissions and I still get the same message when I try to boot them.

On the server:
-rw-rw-rw- 1 me me 2898500096 Nov 17 05:22 UbuntuVM.hdd
-rw-rw-rw- 1 me me 1700 Nov 14 14:14 lin26.pvs

In my library:
-rw-r--r-- 1 me me 2898500096 Nov 17 05:22 UbuntuVM.hdd
-rw-r--r-- 1 me me 1700 Nov 14 14:14 lin26.pvs

So it turns out this error can be generated by more than just a permissions issue. Parallels apparently does not support booting from a server.
http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=28887#post28887


This was my workaround:

create disk image files (.dmg) using Disk Utility and copy your VMs onto that. Then put the .dmg file on the server. Create an alias of your VM on your local machine. When you launch that, the .dmg should mount and the VM start normally.

 

Creative solution. Good thinking.

 

managed (ad/od) environments...here's what we do

parallels is maturing...obviously it's marketed as a single user product. it's at the point where parallels team needs to take it to the next level...allowing parallels to be properly shared in an ad/od managed multi-user environment. in the mean time, here's what we do...

1. load master image here:

/Users/Shared/Parallels

2. set ownership and permissions:

sudo -R chown root:wheel /Users/Shared/Parallels
sudo -R 777 /Users/Shared/Parallels

NOTE: obviously we WANT permissions set to 755, 775, 664 or 644 but for whatever reason, parallels ONLY works if permissions are set to 777. i hope the parallels team is taking notes.

within parallels desktop application, set the following preference:

1. parallels desktop > preferences > common > workspace > default directory for virtual machines > [ /Users/Shared/Parallels ]

within configuration editor for your windows image, set the following:

1. shared folders > /Users
2. disable "read only", enable "enabled" checkboxes

...and set network adapter to:

1. network adapter options > bridged ethernet [ default adapter ]

now on to setting up windows. remember, if you're not in a managed environment, usernames and passwords on the mac and within the windows image need to be identical (managed environments don't have this worry):

1. log into mac as admin user
2. launch windows
3. log into windows as admin user
4. choose one:
---a. bind machine (managed environment)
---b. create users manually (non-managed environment)
5. restart windows and log in as admin user
6. map local shared folder (/Users)
7. map servers (if necessary - some environments use bat scripts)
8. log out of windows
9. log out of mac
10. log into mac as newuser
11. log into windows as newuser
12. add aliases for /Users/newuser and network shares to newuser's desktop

NOTE: users will only have access to their own mac home directory. you'll notice that a non admin windows user may be able to look inside /Users/otheruser but they will not see contents of directories that have apple's default permissions (admins, take note). this is a umask issue apple needs to address (they have things set this way so you can share your "public" and "sites" folders)...until this is "fixed", we set each users' home directory (non-recursively) to 770.

don

 

joem, your response to the original poster is condescending and offers little in terms of tangible help. your response to the second poster regarding how wonderful an idea it is to use microsoft rcd to share an image is silly. you're throwing rocks and following up with rubberbands and duct tape (maybe stick some bubblegum on the problem?). see my other post:

http://forums.parallels.com/post29359-8.html

the original poster had a valid point. parallels does not behave as expected in a multi-user environment. should we expect it to? nope. it's marketed as a virtualization solution. it does a wonderful job and is maturing nicely.

i'm sure with vmware just around the corner, parallels realizes it need to take things to the next level so a single image can be shared by all users on a machine. we already know you can bind the image, map shares, map printers, etc.

don