Parallels Command Line Reference Guide Copyright © 1999-2008 Parallels, Inc.
ISBN: N/A Parallels Holdings, Ltd. c/o Parallels Software, Inc. 13755 Sunrise Valley Drive Suite 600 Herndon, VA 20171 USA Tel: +1 (703) 815 5670 Fax: +1 (703) 815 5675 Copyright © 1999-2008 Parallels Holdings, Ltd. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Parallels, Coherence, Parallels Transporter, Parallels Compressor, Parallels Desktop, and Parallels Explorer are registered trademarks of Parallels Software International, Inc.
Contents Introduction 4 About Parallels Command Line Tool ...........................................................................................................4 About This Guide .........................................................................................................................................4 Organization of This Guide ...............................................................................................................4 Documentation Conventions ..................
CHAPTER 1 Introduction In This Chapter About Parallels Command Line Tool ................................................................................... 4 About This Guide.................................................................................................................. 4 Getting Help.......................................................................................................................... 5 Feedback ......................................................................
Introduction Type Styles Note: 5 Used to emphasize the message. Used to warn you about possible data loss. Warning: Key Combinations -click Used to direct you to press the key and click the mouse button. + Used to direct you to press the keys simultaneously.
CHAPTER 2 prlctl Basics The prlctl Parallels Command Line Tool is a utility enabling you to manage computers running the Parallels Server or Parallels Desktop software and virtual machines hosted on these computers right from your command line utility, without need to use the GUI. You can use the prlctl utility in one of the following ways: run the utility from the command prompt or include special utility calls in your automation scripts.
CHAPTER 3 prlctl Parameters This chapter documents the command-line options and switches that can be used with the prlctl utility. In This Chapter Matrix of prlctl Commands................................................................................................... 7 Server Connection Parameters .............................................................................................. 8 prlctl create..............................................................................................
prlctl Parameters resume Used to restore a virtual machine from its suspended state. stop Used to stop a virtual machine. reset Used to consecutively stop and start a virtual machine. set Used to manage different virtual machine parameters, including VM virtual devices. installtools Used to launch the installation of Parallels Tools inside a virtual machine. clone Used to create a clone of an existing virtual machine.
prlctl Parameters user 9 The name of the user: to log in to a remote Parallels server (if the server parameters are specified); on behalf of which the command is to be run on the local Parallels server (if the server parameters are omitted). passwd The password for accessing the remote Parallels server. -p, --read-passwd path The path to the file containing the password for accessing the remote Parallels server. server The IP address or hostname of the remote Parallels server.
prlctl Parameters --location path 10 The path to the directory on the computer where all configuration files of the newly created virtual machine are to be stored. If the -location parameter is omitted, the VM files are automatically placed to the default folder for virtual machines.
prlctl Parameters -d, name --distribution The version of the operating system to be installed inside the newly created virtual machine.
prlctl Parameters --ostemplate name solaris (specify this option for all Solaris operating systems except for the ones listed above); qnx; openstep; other (use this option if the operating system version you are using is not listed above). 12 The name of the virtual machine template to be used as the basis for the virtual machine creation. If it consists of two or more words separated by spaces, the folder name should be quoted (e.g. "My Virtual Machine Template").
prlctl Parameters 13 --kill If a virtual machine becomes corrupted for some reason or other (e.g. due to an error in an application), you can use this option to forcibly stop the VM by killing all the processes running inside it. -v, --verbose number Sets the verbosity level for the executed command. The greater number you specify, the more verbose output the command will produce.
prlctl Parameters --template 14 Tells the prlctl clone command to create a template instead of creating a virtual machine. You can use then this template as the basis for creating new virtual machines. To deploy a template, use the prlctl create command. --location The location where all configuration files of the cloned virtual machine are to be stored. If the --location parameter is omitted, the VM files will be placed to the default folder for virtual machines.
prlctl Parameters 15 ID The ID of the virtual machine whose detailed information you wish to view. name The name of the virtual machine whose detailed information you wish to view. -o, --output name This option is used to display only particular information about the virtual machine.
prlctl Parameters -v, --verbose number 16 Sets the verbosity level for the executed command. The greater number you specify, the more verbose output the command will produce. prlctl register and prlctl unregister The prlctl register is used to add an existing virtual machine to the list of virtual machines registered in Parallels Server or Parallels Desktop.
prlctl Parameters -v, number 17 --verbose Sets the verbosity level for the prlctl installtools command. The greater number you specify, the more verbose output prlctl installtools will produce. prlctl snapshot The prlctl snapshot command is used to make snapshots of Parallels virtual machines that are currently running in Parallels Server or Parallels Desktop. It has the following syntax: prlctl snapshot [-a, --all] [-t, --template] [--no-header] [-o, --output name[,name...
prlctl Parameters -v, number 18 --verbose Sets the verbosity level for the prlctl list command. The greater number you specify, the more verbose output prlctl list will produce. If no parameter is specified, only the currently running virtual machines will be listed. prlctl capture The prlctl capture command is used to make screen shots of running virtual machines.
prlctl Parameters 19 prlctl set The prlctl set command is used for setting and configuring virtual machine parameters. It also can be used to manage the VM devices.
prlctl Parameters --start-as-user administrator|owner|use r:passwd 20 Specifies under which account the virtual machine is to be run: administrator: run the virtual machine as the Parallels server administrator; owner: run the virtual machine as its owner; user: run the virtual machine as the specified user. --applyconfig conf The full path to the config.pvs configuration file of an existing virtual machine you wish to base your virtual machine on.
prlctl Parameters 21 Hard Disk Drive Management Parameters This group of parameters is used to create new virtual hard disk drives for your virtual machines and configure their properties.
prlctl Parameters --image name The name of the file to be used for emulating the VM virtual disk drive. If this option is omitted and the --device option is not indicated either, a new file is created inside the directory storing all VM-related configuration files and assigned the name of harddiskN.hdd (where N is the index number of the newly added disk drive). Note: In fact, harddiskN.hdd is a directory keeping a number of disk-related files.
prlctl Parameters 23 DVD-ROM and CD-ROM Drive Management Parameters This group of parameters is used to manage virtual machine DVD-ROM and CD-ROM drives.
prlctl Parameters --position number 24 The SCSI or IDE device identifier to be used for the DVD/CD-ROM drive. The allowed ID ranges are the following: for IDE devices: 0:0, 0:1, 1:0, 1:1; for SCSI device: 0:0, 1:0, 2:0, 3:0, 4:0, 5:0, 6:0. You can use one of the following formats for specifying IDs: ID:bus, ID-bus, ID. For example, if you specify 3:0 (or 3-0 or 3) as number for a SCSI drive, the guest OS will see the drive as having ID 3 on SCSI bus 0.
prlctl Parameters --connect Use this option to have the specified floppy disk drive automatically connected to the virtual machine on its start. --disconnect Use this option if you do not wish to have the specified floppy disk drive automatically connected to the virtual machine on its start. --image path The name of the file to be used for emulating the VM virtual floppy disk drive, usually, floppy.fdd.
prlctl Parameters --type Sets the operating mode of the virtual network adapter. Any VM shared|host|bridged network adapter can be set to function in one of the following modes: host. Select this option if you wish the virtual machine to communicate with the Parallels server and all virtual machines residing on this server. Access to any computers on external networks is not allowed. bridged.
prlctl Parameters 27 Serial Port Management Parameters This group of parameters is used to manage serial port settings of your virtual machines.
prlctl Parameters 28 Parallel Port Management Parameters This group of parameters is used to manage parallel port settings of your virtual machines.
prlctl Parameters 29 USB Port Management Parameters This group of parameters is used to manage USB controller settings of your virtual machines. The parameters syntax is as follows: prlctl set --device-add usb [--enable|--disable] [--connect|--disconnect] All USB controller-related parameters are explained in the following table: Parameter Name Description usb Informs the prlctl set command that the device to be added to the virtual machine is a USB controller.
prlctl Parameters --disconnect 30 Use this option if you do not wish to have the sound card automatically enabled inside the virtual machine on its start. Removing Devices from Virtual Machine The --device-del option is used to remove virtual devices that you do not need any more from your virtual machines. It has the following syntax: prlctl set --device-del --device-del requires only the name of the device to successfully remove it from the specified virtual machine.
CHAPTER 4 Glossary This glossary defines terms and spells out abbreviations used in Parallels Server help and Parallels Server User Guide. References to terms defined elsewhere in the glossary appear in italics. Administrator. A user with server administration privileges. Bridged networking. Virtual machine network connection mode that enables the virtual machine to appear as any other computer on the network, with it own IP address and network name. Client computer.
Glossary 32 Primary operating system (primary OS). An physical computer operating system where Parallels Server application is installed. PVS file. A virtual machine configuration file that contains information about the virtual machine resources, devices and other settings. Shared networking. Virtual machine network connection mode that allows the virtual machine to use the host computer network connections. Virtual hard disk. A file or a group of files that emulates virtual machine's hard disk.
Index A About Parallels Command Line Tool • 4 About This Guide • 4 D Device Management Parameters • 20 Documentation Conventions • 4 DVD-ROM and CD-ROM Drive Management Parameters • 23 F Feedback • 5 Floppy Disk Drive Management Parameters • 24 G Getting Help • 5 Glossary • 31 H Hard Disk Drive Management Parameters • 21 I Introduction • 4 M Matrix of prlctl Commands • 7 N Network kinds of netwowking • 31 Network Adapter Management Parameters • 25 O Organization of This Guide • 4 P Parallel Por
