Set Parallels 8 to launch at login

[wculver]

We're using Parallels 8 in one of the lab environments at the university I work at. I've managed to put together a script that sets the default VM for whomever logs on to the machine, but I've been unable to set Parallels to launch at login. I've tried setting a Global Login Item for the Parallels Desktop.app. I've tried creating a Configuration Profile to force Parallels to launch, and that hasn't worked either.

When creating the Configuration Profile, Parallels doesn't show up in the Applications drop down. Because of this I was trying to set it to launch under the Items area. It doesn't seem to be keeping the setting though. Once the configuration profile is created, it shows that it has one payload to deploy. If I edit the profile, the Items line that was supposed to launch Parallels is blank. Clicking save, or cancel, at this point causes the Payload count to drop to zero for this profile.

I'm at a loss here. This is one of those times where I can't help but think, "On Windows, I could just drop a shortcut in the Startup folder and be done with this."

[nessts]

try a launch agent.

[wculver]

Can you provide a link or some guidance on how to create one? This is the first time I've had to make an non-apple application launch at login.

[nessts · Accepted solution]

since i don't have parallels to give you a certain path this is a close estimation...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict> <key>Label</key> <string>com.symantec.login</string> <key>ProgramArguments</key> <array> <string>/Applications/Parallels.app/Contents/MacOS/Parallels</string> </array> <key>RunAtLoad</key> <true/>
</dict>
</plist>

[nessts]

save that file to /Library/LaunchAgents make sure its owned by root:wheel and the permissions are 644

[nessts]

oh and probably change the com.symantec.login to something like com.parallels.startup or something and name the file the same something you come up with, sorry for the multiple posts, I keep thinking of things you might not know.

[wculver]

This doesn't appear to be working. This is what I put together from your suggestion.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Label</key> <string>com.parallels.startup</string> <key>ProgramArguments</key> <array> <string>/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app</string> </array> <key>RunAtLoad</key> <true/> </dict>
</plist>

I save it as com.parallels.startup. I've tried it both with the application path listed as "/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app" and as "/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app", just in case the before the space was needed. All the other files in this folder end in .plist. Should I be naming the file com.parallels.startup.plist?

[wculver]

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[wculver]

Multiple posts, oops.

[nessts]

thats because you omitted the Contents/MacOS/Parallels part of the exectuatble

[nessts]

and you do not want the in there to escape the space

[wculver]

Changing the string to <string>/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Parallels</string>
did not cause the application to launch. If I look at the package contents, It looks like there is no Parallels in the MacOS folder. The prl_client_app is there, which I believe is the piece that runs the client. Should I change the /Parallels at the end of the line to /prl_client_app?

[wculver]

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[wculver]

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[nessts]

as i do not have parallels installed i have no idea what the actual name is if the only thing in that dir is prl_client_app then yes thats what it should be.
open a terminal. and run the command see what happens.

[wculver]

That did it. Thank you for your help!

[mm2270]

As @nessts suggested, try copying the path to the prl_client into Terminal and see if it launches Parallels when you hit return. If so, that's the executable.

Secondly, I recommend grabbing a copy of Lingon for the purpose of making a LaunchAgent. While you can make them manually, Lingon handles all of the proper formatting and permissions when it makes the plist, which are both crucial to them working.
You can still find the older version of Lingon for free here, which still works with 10.8.4. I use it all the time with no issues. http://sourceforge.net/projects/lingon/files/Lingon/2.1.1/

Make sure to get the Lingon-2.1.1.zip located on that page. For some reason the link for the "latest" version points to the much older 1.2 version.