Coheremote

A wrapper app generator that integrates Windows apps on VMware Fusion into macOS Dock as native apps.

About the App

Coheremote is a wrapper app generator tool that integrates Windows applications running on VMware Fusion into the macOS Dock as native apps. It uses RemoteApp (RDP) technology to provide a seamless operating experience. The generated wrapper apps are native binaries compiled in Swift.

Inspired by this post on X.

Key Features

Native Compilation: Generated wrapper apps are native binaries compiled in Swift.
Status Window: Real-time display of VM startup, connection, and suspend status.
Dock Menu: Right-click to reconnect, restart Windows, or shutdown and quit.
Persistent Wrapper: Stays in the Dock after launching Windows App, managing the VM lifecycle.
Quit Behavior Options: Choose between suspend / Windows shutdown / do nothing on quit.
Smart Launch: Instantly detects VM state and connects immediately if already running.
Encrypted VM Support: Securely stores encryption passwords in the macOS Keychain.
App Launcher: Displays a launcher panel in the menu bar to launch installed Windows apps, control power, and switch between wrapper apps.
App Show/Hide: Hide unwanted apps from the launcher's app list (settings are persisted).
Custom Icons: Supports PNG, JPG, ICO, and ICNS formats.
Bilingual: Both the app and generated wrappers auto-switch between Japanese and English based on system language.
Persistent Settings: Settings are automatically saved and restored when regenerating.

Requirements

Requirement	Notes
macOS 13.0 or later	Ventura or later
VMware Fusion	Installed in `/Applications`
Windows App	Install from the Mac App Store (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop)
RDP File	Create using RemoteApp Tool or export from Windows App (see below)
Xcode Command Line Tools	`swiftc` is required to compile generated apps
Full Disk Access	Required for both Coheremote and all generated wrapper apps

Installation

Download the latest .zip from Releases
Extract and move to /Applications
On first launch, if macOS says the app is "damaged", run this in Terminal:
```
xattr -cr /Applications/Coheremote.app
```
Grant Full Disk Access (System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access)
Launch Coheremote

Usage

Generating a Wrapper App

Launch Coheremote

Enter settings

Field	Description
Application Name	Name of the wrapper app to generate
Save Location	Where to save the generated `.app`
Icon Image	PNG, JPG, ICO, or ICNS file (optional)
VM Path	`.vmx` file or `.vmwarevm` bundle
VM Encryption Password	For encrypted VMs (optional)
RDP File	RemoteApp `.rdp` file (see how to create)
Windows Username	For login
Windows Password	Used for fetching app list in the launcher (optional, requires VMware Tools)

Option settings
- RemoteApp Conversion (default: OFF): Auto-inject RemoteApp settings into the RDP file. Convert a regular RDP connection to a per-app RemoteApp connection without using RemoteApp Tool
- Suspend VM on quit (default: ON)
- Shutdown Windows on quit (default: OFF)
- Add app launcher to menu bar (default: ON)
- Add Coheremote badge to icon (default: OFF)
Click Build Application
Grant Full Disk Access to the generated app

Dock Menu (Right-click)

Menu	Description
Reconnect	Re-establish RDP connection (use when the Windows app was closed)
Restart Windows	Send a soft restart to the VM and auto-reconnect RDP after boot
Shutdown and Quit	Shutdown Windows and then quit the wrapper app

App Launcher

Click the menu bar icon to display the launcher panel.

Header: App name and connection status (green: connected / gray: disconnected)
App List: List of applications installed on the Windows side (click to launch)
Footer Buttons:
- Reconnect: Re-establish RDP connection
- Power: Restart, suspend, shutdown, or quit app only
- Show/Hide: Edit app list visibility (eye icon)
- Refresh: Re-fetch the app list
- Quit: Quit the app

Note: To use the app list in the launcher, you must enter the Windows Password in Coheremote settings and have VMware Tools installed on the Windows side.

Creating an RDP File

Method 1: RemoteApp Tool (Recommended)

Publish individual Windows applications as RemoteApps.

Download and run RemoteApp Tool on the Windows side
Click + to add an application (e.g., notepad.exe)
Select the application and click Create Client Connection
Save the .rdp file
Copy the .rdp file to your Mac and use it with Coheremote

Method 2: Export from Windows App

Export an existing connection from Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) on macOS.

Launch Windows App
Add the PC if not already added: + > Add PC, enter the PC name (VM IP address or hostname), and save
Right-click the added PC > Export to RDP file
Save the .rdp file and use it with Coheremote

Note: Exporting from Windows App creates a full desktop connection. To make it a RemoteApp connection for an individual app, use Method 3 (Coheremote's conversion feature) or open the .rdp file in a text editor and add the following lines:

remoteapplicationmode:i:1
remoteapplicationname:s:AppName
remoteapplicationprogram:s:AppPath

Example (Notepad):

remoteapplicationmode:i:1
remoteapplicationname:s:Notepad
remoteapplicationprogram:s:C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe

Method 3: Coheremote's RemoteApp Conversion

Convert RDP files directly from Coheremote's settings screen, eliminating the need for manual RDP file editing.

Create an .rdp file using Method 2
Enable RemoteApp Conversion in Coheremote's settings
Enter the App Name (display name) and Program Path (Windows executable path)
RemoteApp settings will be automatically injected into the RDP file at build time

Security Notes

Password Storage: VM encryption passwords and Windows passwords are stored in the macOS Keychain (not in UserDefaults)
vmrun Limitation: VMware Fusion's vmrun command only accepts passwords via process arguments (-vp, -gp). This means other processes from the same user can view the password via the ps command. This is a known limitation of vmrun — exercise caution in shared environments
App Name Sanitization: Dangerous filesystem characters (/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |) are automatically removed from app names at build time

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"Operation not permitted" error	Full Disk Access is not granted. Add the app in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.
VM does not start	Check that VMware Fusion is installed in `/Applications` and the VM path is correct. Logs: `~/Library/Logs/Coheremote/`
RemoteApp does not appear	Select "Restart Windows" from the Dock menu. If unresolved, recreate the `.rdp` file with RemoteApp Tool.
Windows app was closed	Select "Reconnect" from the Dock menu to re-establish the RDP connection.
Multiple wrapper apps at the same time	If windows for the 2nd+ apps don't appear, select "Reconnect" from the Dock menu. When multiple wrapper apps share the same VM, suspend/shutdown won't occur until the last app quits.
RDP connection fails	Check that Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) is installed. Test by manually opening the RDP file.
Auto login doesn't work	On first connection, Windows App may ask to save the password to the Keychain. Click "Allow" and auto login will work from the next connection.