UTM - Sharing a Folder with a Linux Guest

Like many other virtualization solutions, UTM allows you to share a folder on your computer with a virtual machine running inside UTM. The following instructions are for Linux, and may be adaptable to Windows guests, but that has not been tested.


  1. First, when you launch UTM, go to the VM you'd like to share files with. In the configuration details at the bottom, you will see a line called "Shared Folders". Click here and choose "Browse" to select a folder you want to share with the guest. In the dialog that comes up, select the folder you'd like to share. This could be your desktop, or a folder you create specifically for this VM. The VM will only be able to access the contents of this folder.
    UTM_SelectSharedFolder
  2. Next, start the VM. Once logged in, open a file window, such as your home directory. In Ubuntu, you can navigate to the "Other Locations" tab on the left, and should be presented with a few options for network storage.
    UTM_OtherLocations
  3. Here, we want to select "Spice Client Folder". This is where UTM shares files with the guest. If you get the following error, give the system a few minutes and try again - it takes some time after starting the VM for the share to become available.
    UTM_HTTPError
  4. Once the VM and host are ready, you should see a new folder appear with an eject icon next to it. This is your shared folder from UTM.
    UTM_BetterSharedFolder
  5. Open this folder and you should see the contents from your host machine. Now you can share files back and forth with your VM!
    UTM_WorkingSharedFolder