Ubuntu guest, symbolic links in shared folders.

Reading your blog seems Parallels Desktop 8 is incoming. So I want to ask what if this gonna be fixed in version 8? Would I be eligible for free update?

I've submitted 2 bug reports, one for this no symlinks issue, 2nd for bad AVX code execution, none were fixed so far, regardless of numerous updates.

Please at least try to be honest with us. Keep in mind that many of us are developers capable of writing VFS code.

I think this feature has low priority, because (1) most of your users are not pro/developers/engineers, so it doesn't matter for them (2) we have already paid for your product, so attractive features like Retina support are top on the list, because that can seduce new users and bring you profit. Anyway this only proves that you are no different from any other, you love us until we pay, then suddenly all your love is gone.

Going back to the subject, having symlinks is rather simple task for UNIX/driver developer. I'd do it myself if I had source-code for both host and guest code, all I have now is guest prl_fs code. But if you need guidelines, here they're:

(1) in order to provide symlink support you need to provide extra callback methods in prl_fs/SharedFolders/Guest/Linux/prl_fs/file.c symlink, follow_link, readlink in struct file_operations prlfs_file_fops and struct file_operations prlfs_dir_fops

(2) note symlink is just a TEXT, so both symlink and readlink need just pass the supplied buffer to/from host functions with same name at given path (resolved similarly as in prlfs_open). Not hard at all!

(3) follow_link may be just a little more complicated, because it should follow link relatively to guest, still I do not see anything hard there!

 

Just so Parallels is aware how important this issue is: This one issue, symbolic links in shared folders, is the only thing keeping me from switching to Parallels from VMware. I hope you fix it soon, but I'm about to plunk down my $50 for the VMWare upgrade and thought I'd try out Parallels again. My workflow requires the symbolic links... so its a non-starter. I guess I try again with Parallels 9.

 

Still no symbolic link support?

After all these years? I feel like an idiot for paying for Parallels. I'm happy that I've switched away.

 

Dear Parallels, it has been over 3 years this thread was started. Any change to have working & complete shared folders implementation for Linux anytime soon?

 

Parallels 9 out... Are symbolic links supported this time?? It is ridiculous...

 

Yes, they are.

 

Thanks Hanna!
I just downloaded the trial and it effectively works!

Best,

 

They do indeed work. It was even highlighted in release notes, good work Parallels, finally !

 

Wish it hadn't taken so long, but gotta give credit where it's due. Thank you Parallels team for adding this crucial capability. I can actually test websites in development properly now in Parallels without jumping through hoops. Better very late than never.

 

this is awesome!

was thinking of switching sides, but if these are working now, parallels keeps my business. will upgrade shortly. thanks!

 

Yeah, not so much.

I have a Parallels 9.0.23140 trial that I installed two days ago under a fresh OSX 10.9. Mounting a folder in my Linux-64 guest there's two bugs with symlinked folders.

Bug 1: Can't create a file in symlinked folder under VM

Inside the vm:

cd shared_folder
mkdir a
ln -s a b
echo asdf > b/asdf
ls b/asdf # it's not there

Back on the host you can create b/asdf and then it does appear in the vm. But you can't create b/asdf in the vm. It doesn't even give an error it just silently, mysteriously fails.

Bug 2: Parallels crashes

Play with it a little more -- try making a circular link -- and you will quickly crash Parallels, having to force quit it. I can't give exact steps to reproduce because I'm a bit too lazy to keep reboot my VM to see exactly at what point it dies. But play it for like two minutes and I'm sure you can crash yours.

 

Google reveals that VMWare and VirtualBox also have versions of this problem supporting symlinks in a shared folder. The general prescription is to use NFS. It makes me wonder, if NFS works so well, then why do virtualization developers bother reinventing the wheel? Why not just implement shared folders using NFS?

 

I did some performance testing and NFS is really hugely more performant anyway. Here's the file copy speed on my mac host, in an NFS share under linux VM and in a parallels shared folder under linux VM:

Mac: 121 MB/s
NFS on VM: 45 MB/s
Parallels share on VM: 5.5 MB/s

It's not hard to setup. Just create a file on the host called /etc/exports and put a line in it like:

/Users/m -maproot=0:0 -alldirs -32bitclients -network 10.37.129.0 -mask 255.255.255.0

On the guest, edit /etc/fstab and add a line like:

pro:/Users/m /home/pro-m nfs defaults 0 0

Make the directory:

sudo mkdir /home/pro-m

Then mount it with:

sudo mount -a

One other issue is user and group ids. I changed my user and group ids on my vm to match that on the host. The other way is to have NFS map them for you. You can learn more with:

man exports

 

The PD9 couldn't make symbolic link in prl_fs which is share with mac mavericks 10.9.2

This problem is still on from 2011 to 2014.