Is it possible to share the same virtual machine between two users of a Mac Computer?
Thank you for the answer.
Instead of creating the Virtual Machine in the default location, "/Users/${USER}/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/" place them in "/Users/Shared/Virtual Machines/" and make sure all Users have full access to the "/Users/Shared/Virtual Machines/" folder as well as any Virtual Machine Document Packages including all files within the Document Package.
Have a look at the "Sharing Virtual Machines Between Users" section in A Beginner's Guide to VMware Fusion.
I put the virtual machine to the Public folder and I gave everyone permission to read and write.
When I start the virtual machine from another user the system tells me I do not have rights to open that document.
What can I do?
I've already told you what needs to be done so reread my first reply in this thread.
gpalmia wrote:
I put the virtual machine to the Public folder and I gave everyone permission to read and write.
When I start the virtual machine from another user the system tells me I do not have rights to open that document.
What can I do?
Hi gpalmia,
WoodyZ gave you exactly the right response. If you've taken a snapshot (or had AutoProtect run) since giving everyone permissions, that will lock the virtual machine to the user who was using it at that time, again. Have a look at this article: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1005196.
To keep the virtual machine shared, successfully, you'll need to turn off AutoProtect and not use snapshots, or reset the permissions every time someone else is going to use the virtual machine.
Stephen Gardner
Desktop Technical Support Specialist
Global Support Services
VMware Inc.
To keep the virtual machine shared, successfully, you'll need to turn off AutoProtect and not use snapshots, or reset the permissions every time someone else is going to use the virtual machine.
I'm going to have to disagree with that statement and in the VMware KB because if the permissions are properly set to begin with then, as an example, I have no problems whatsoever with creating a Virtual Machine under my Account, an Admin Account, and then taking both cold and hot snapshots and or suspending and or shutting down the Virtual Machine and then under a Standard Account have full access in every respect to the Virtual Machine. This stands true for anything I do under each account, back and forth between the two Accounts, nor do I have to change or modify permissions after the initial proper setup of permissions for this type of sharing.
That said, and just for the sake of this discussion, sharing a Virtual Machine can start in two different ways. One would be if the Virtual Machine was originally created using the VMware Fusion defaults under a specific User Account and then either copied or moved to the OS X default Shared folder and the other would be initially creating the Virtual Machine in the OS X default Shared folder. Note that coping/moving from any other location then the VMware Fusion default to the OS X default Shared folder could be consider a third way however since the methodology of properly sharing in the first way is applicable here as well therefore I'm just going to discuss this from the perspective of the first two ways mentioned herein.
I am also going to point out a discrepancy in the video in the linked VMware KB and that of the default permissions when creating a Virtual Machine in the VMware Fusion default location as well as two unnecessary steps and adjusting one step to have the Virtual Machine properly shared to allow full access using snapshots and or suspending done by different Users.
Let me start with the second method first, where the Virtual Machine is initially created in the OS X default Shared folder because it was pre-planned to setup a Virtual Machine to be shared between multiple users. If when creating the Virtual Machine it is initially saved directly in the "/User/Shared" folder and not a User created folder within which has not had its permissions properly reset first then doing this requires no additional action in order to have full access in every respect to the Virtual Machine between Users regardless of snapshots or being suspended because the permissions are inherited from the Parent folder in this case and appropriate permissions for Owner, Group and Other are propagated to the children.
Now lets look at the two unnecessary steps in the linked VMware KB. Steps number 7, "Close the Info window to apply the changes." and 8, "Right-click the virtual machine bundle and choose Get Info." just are not necessary and after removing the .vmwarevm extension in step 6 simply press Enter and then click the Remove button when prompted with "Are you sure you want to remove the extension “.vmwarevm”?" and then go directly to step 9.
Now lets look at the discrepancy in the video in the linked VMware KB and that of the default permissions when creating a Virtual Machine in the VMware Fusion default location. Looking at Sharing & Permissions under Get Info for a Virtual Machine created in the VMware Fusion default location the Owner Permissions will be set to "Read & Write" and the Group and Other Permissions will be set to "Read only" however in the video all three where already set to "Read & Write" so that does not accurately depict the normal defaults and when producing instructional videos the defaults should be maintained whenever possible when dealing with some things and especially is a case such as this with Permissions.
If one follows the written directions in the VMware KB or even the Document by etung that I linked to then the statement quoted at the top of this reply and in the linked VMware KB regarding having snapshots or being suspended would be true because permissions for Group are not explicitly being set to "Read & Write" as well, however I submit that in this case the Virtual Machine has not been properly shared. In order to properly share it so snapshots can be used and or the Virtual Machine suspended by one User and then the other User(s) not have any problems with that, then Permissions for all three the Owner, Group and Other need to be set to "Read & Write" along with "Apply to enclosed items..." once the Virtual Machine has been copied/moved. Therefore step 11 should reflect changing Permissions for both the Group and Other to "Read & Write"
Therefore if the permissions are properly set to begin with then a Virtual Machine can have snapshots and or be suspended by one User and it will not inhibit other Users having full working access and therefore you may want to clean up the video and VMware KB to reflect what is actually possible when properly configured.