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.
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