Parallels Desktop for Mac is a software application that allows users to install and run a virtual copy of Linux on their Apple Silicon Mac computer. This can be useful for those who want to test out different Linux distributions or need to use specific Linux software that is unavailable on macOS.
Parallels Desktop for Mac is a paid application, but a free trial is available.
Installing Parallels Desktop for Mac is simple and only requires a few minutes. Once installed, users can choose to create a new virtual machine or import an existing one.
Creating a virtual machine is recommended for those new to using Parallels Desktop for Mac, as it allows for more customization.
Importing an existing virtual machine is recommended for those who need to use a specific Linux distribution or who have an existing Linux installation that they want to use with Parallels Desktop for Mac.
Once the virtual machine has been created, users can install any supported Linux distribution. Only ARM-based operating systems can run on Apple Silicon Macs; any OS designed for Intel processors won’t work.
By default, a limited number of operating systems or distributions are available as built-in options, which includes
- Ubuntu Linux 22.04
- Fedora 36
- Debian 11.3
- Kali Linux 2022.2
- Windows 11
- macOS 12
You can install other operating systems that support ARM, but you’ll have to download the ISO from the OS vendors and install it manually using the “Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file” option.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to run Rocky Linux 9 on Parallels.
Step 1: Download Rocky Linux 9
Download from https://rockylinux.org/download/
Step 2: In Parallel Control Center, select “+” to add a VM.
If you see this warning, continue anyway
After selecting the ISO, select “Other Linux” from the pop-up selection menu.
Step 3: Customize the VM hardware settings
You may want to configure RAM, storage, network, etc.
Step 4: Boot Rocky Linux 9 from the ISo
Step 5: Boot and do a standard installation
Step 6: Reboot and use the system
Parallel Tools does not support Rocky 9 as of this writing. Compiling Parallel Tools to work on Rocky 9 is also not supported.
Workaround: Mount a share from macOS to the VM
Parallel Tools does not support Rocky 9, but you can still allow sharing by mounting a share from the macOS host on the virtual machine.
By
You can then mount the share using SMB:
Change the username and IP above to reflect yours.
Conclusion
Even though this example shows how to run Rocky Linux 9 on Apple Silicon Mac, Parallels on Apple Silicon should work with any operating system that supports ARM. Rocky 9 looked and worked great on an Apple Silicon Mac.
