We’ve outlined how to run Linux on Mac® and how easy it is to get started! Linux is an incredibly versatile operating system that has been designed to run on a wide range of devices—from mobile devices, to desktop computers, and even servers.

Due to the open-source nature that ensures code has active community support, Linux is widely loved by developers. Think of Linux as an operating system “ of the people, by the people, for the people.” (Yes, we just quoted the Gettysburg Address to enable readers to understand Linux as a whole.) Users online have expressed a desire to run Linux on their Mac computer without rebooting.

Virtual Mac Os X Online

This is where Parallels Desktop® for Mac enters as a solution. Virtualization of Linux is a powerful and easy installation process that allows for an interruption-free environment. Parallels Desktop provides several popular distributions of directly in the product itself. Additionally, Parallels Desktop users can download.ISO files of and install other Linux distributions (for example: Kali Linux & use to download and setup Linux environments like a pro!) The are shown below. There’s no need to take any additional steps to find the right Linux distribution for you.

We’ve made it very easy to run Linux on Mac! Ubuntu: One of the most popular open-source softwares; based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution. Fedora: Formerly Fedora Core.

Based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora project, and sponsored by Red Hat. CentOS: Provides a stable, predictable, manageable, and reproducible platform. Debian GNU/Linux: A popular Unix-like operating system that is composed entirely of free software, which is utilized for personal computers and network servers. Linux Mint: An easy-to-use free distribution that requires little maintenance and goes with full multimedia support. Android: A Linux-based operating system for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. All of these Linux distributions are free and easy to install as a virtual machine on your Mac through Parallels Desktop. Linux distributions can be located under the “Free Systems” options available to users within the Installation Assistant when creating a new virtual machine.

See the full list of free systems below: Get started with Linux on Mac with Parallels Desktop.

Symptoms When I try to install Parallels Tools in my virtual machine running Ubuntu, I get an error message that Parallels Tools needs the kernel source. Cause The following packages are necessary in order to install Parallels Tools in a VM running Ubuntu: linux-headers and build-essential. You need to install those packages before attemptin the Parallels Tools installation.

Resolution Install the packages linux-headers and build-essential by typing the following command in Ubuntu Terminal: # sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential After the packages are installed, try to install Parallels Tools again following the steps below:. Start the virtual machine.

Make sure your virtual machine's CD/DVD drive is pointed to a Default empty drive. When the operating system boots up, click Actions ( Virtual Machine in Parallels Desktop 9 and earlier) and choose Install Parallels Tools. The prl-tools-lin.iso image file will be mounted to the virtual machine's CD/DVD drive. You can connect and mount the Parallels Tools ISO image file manually. Right click the CD/DVD drive icon in the virtual machine's window status bar and choose Connect Image. In the Finder window, go to the hard disk folder (normally named ' Macintosh HD'), select /Library/Parallels/Tools/ folder (for Parallels Desktop 7) or /Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/Tools/ (for Parallels Desktop 8 and later), select the prl-tools-lin.iso file, and click Open to connect it to the virtual machine. Start a terminal in your Ubuntu virtual machine.

Change the directory to the CD/DVD drive directory: for Ubuntu 12.04: cd /media/Parallels Tools/ for Ubuntu 13.04 and above: cd /media/$USER/Parallels Tools/ Once you get into the CD/DVD drive directory, enter the following command to launch the Parallels Tools installation: sudo./install. Follow the Parallels Tools Installer instructions to complete the installation.

When the installation of Parallels Tools is complete, restart your virtual machine.