Shared Folders

Share directories from the host Mac with the guest VM using VirtioFS. Files appear instantly in the guest without any transfer step.

Configuring Shared Folders

Via CLI

# When creating a VM
vmctl init ~/VMs/dev.GhostVM --shared-folder ~/Projects --writable

# When starting a VM
vmctl start ~/VMs/dev.GhostVM --shared-folder ~/Projects --read-only

Via GUI

In the Create VM dialog or Edit VM Settings, use the Shared Folders section to add host directories. Each folder can be configured as read-only or writable.

Mounting in the Guest

macOS Guest

On macOS guests, shared folders appear automatically in the Finder sidebar under “Locations” as a VirtioFS volume.

Multiple Folders

You can configure multiple shared folders per VM. Each folder is exposed as a separate VirtioFS share tag.

Read-Only vs Writable

Shared folders are read-only by default for safety. In read-only mode, the guest can read files but cannot modify, create, or delete them. Enable writable mode when you need the guest to write back to the host.

Writable shared folders allow the guest to modify files on the host. Use with caution, especially with untrusted guests.

Port Forwarding GhostTools