Running Ubuntu Linux on Mac with Parallels Desktop

As a developer who prefers to work in a Linux environment, I'm always looking for ways to stay productive and flexible. Recently, I decided to pick up an extra 1TB external SSD and install my Ubuntu 20.04 on it. While upgrading to the latest version of Ubuntu, I didn't want to give up my trusty and stable Ubuntu 18.04 VM. That's when I turned to Parallels Desktop.

I've found that you really get what you pay for with Parallels: it's very stable, easy to set up, and well supported. Specifically, I highly recommend Parallels even though there are free options out there. Running Ubuntu in a virtual machine (VM) is the ideal solution for me because I can still have access to my Mac OS for administrative tasks like word processing, calendar, email, and more.

Parallels Desktop provides nested virtualization support through VT-X technology, which allows you to run KVM and other types of virtual machines and emulators inside Parallels Desktop VMs. This feature is particularly useful for me as I often need to set up my FPGA development environment on a Mac OS platform.

Another benefit of using Parallels Desktop is its integration with Jenkins. With the plugin, Parallels Desktop VMs can be launched dynamically whenever they are needed to build jobs, and then suspended during idle time for high-density usage of resources. This means I can run my builds in VMs by initiating and managing them with Jenkins.

In addition, Parallels Desktop provides a range of features that make it easy to control and configure virtual machines. You can use terminal commands like prlctl and prlsrvctl to manage your VMs, settings, and configuration. You can even artificially introduce noise in the network by dropping a percentage of packets using the network conditioning feature.

Parallels Desktop Pro Edition also offers SmartGuard functionality, which allows you to automate snapshots' creation. This means that if something goes wrong, I can revert the changes back to any of my snapshots and continue working.

Finally, with Parallels Desktop, I can easily test new updates or upgrades in a VM before applying them to my main system. And, thanks to virtual machine technology, I can use RHEL without repartitioning my drive, purchasing a separate PC, and get all the advantages of running a VM.

In conclusion, Parallels Desktop is an excellent choice for anyone who needs to run Ubuntu Linux on their Mac. Its stability, ease of use, and range of features make it an indispensable tool for any developer or user who wants to stay productive and flexible.

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