Proxmox Installation: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Proxmox VE is a powerful virtualization platform, but how do you get started? In this guide, we walk you through a complete installation and basic configuration.

Hardware Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• CPU: 64-bit processor with VT-x/AMD-V
• RAM: 4GB (8GB+ recommended)
• Storage: 32GB available space
• Network: 1Gbps NIC

Recommended for Production

• CPU: Dual socket server grade
• RAM: 64GB+ ECC RAM
• Storage: SSD/NVMe for OS, separate storage pool
• Network: 10Gbps+, redundant

Step 1: ISO Download

1. Go to proxmox.com
2. Download the latest ISO (currently 8.1)
3. Create a bootable USB stick with Rufus (Windows) or dd (Linux)

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# Linux command for USB stick
sudo dd if=proxmox-ve_8.1.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Step 2: Installation

Boot from USB

1. Insert USB stick into server
2. Boot from USB (F11/F12 for boot menu)
3. Select “Install Proxmox VE”

Installation Wizard

Language Selection

• Choose your language (English recommended for troubleshooting)

EULA

• Accept the license agreement

Target Harddisk

• Select the disk for Proxmox installation
• Tip: Use a separate disk (not the storage disks)

Country & Timezone

• Country: Netherlands
• Timezone: Europe/Amsterdam
• Keyboard: Dutch

Administrator Password

• Enter a strong password
• Write this down carefully!

Network Configuration

• Hostname: pve01.yourdomain.local
• IP Address: Static IP (e.g. 192.168.1.10)
• Netmask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: 192.168.1.1
• DNS: 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1

Step 3: First Login

After installation, you can log in via:

• Web UI: https://[IP-address]:8006
• Username: root
• Password: [your password]

SSL Warning

The browser will show an SSL warning. This is normal for the self-signed certificate. Accept the exception.

Step 4: Basic Configuration

Repository Configuration

Option A: Free (No-Subscription)

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# Edit repository sources
nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list

# Comment out the enterprise repo:
# deb https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-enterprise

# Add the no-subscription repo:
echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list

# Update
apt update && apt upgrade -y

Option B: Enterprise (with license)

• Add your license key in the web interface
• Datacenter → Subscription → Upload Key

Storage Configuration

Local Storage

By default, there is a “local” storage for ISOs and backups.

Adding extra storage

1. Datacenter → Storage → Add
2. Select type (LVM, ZFS, Directory, etc.)
3. Configure path and options

Example: Add Directory

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# Create mountpoint
mkdir -p /mnt/storage

# Mount disk (e.g. /dev/sdb1)
echo '/dev/sdb1 /mnt/storage ext4 defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
mount -a

# Add to Proxmox
# Via UI: Datacenter → Storage → Add → Directory

Network Configuration

Linux Bridge

By default, a vmbr0 bridge is created.

VLAN Support

1. System → Network → Create → Linux VLAN
2. Configure VLAN ID
3. Assign to vmbr

Step 5: Security

Enable Firewall

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# In web interface:
# Datacenter → Firewall → Options → Firewall: Yes

Install Fail2ban

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apt install fail2ban -y

SSH Hardening

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nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Change:
PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no
PubkeyAuthentication yes

# Restart SSH
systemctl restart sshd

Step 6: Create First VM

1. Upload ISO

   • local → ISO Images → Upload

2. Create VM

   • Create VM (top right)
   • General: Enter name
   • OS: Select ISO
   • System: Defaults (QEMU agent recommended)
   • Disks: Configure storage
   • CPU: Number of cores
   • Memory: Assign RAM
   • Network: vmbr0 (default)
   • Confirm → Finish

3. Start VM

   • Select VM → Start
   • Console for access

Common Issues

“No valid subscription” message

This is normal for the free version. Can be suppressed via:

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# Make the warning script empty
echo "" > /usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js
systemctl restart pveproxy

Network not reachable

Check:

• Firewall settings
• VLAN configuration
• Gateway settings

Conclusion

Proxmox VE is now installed and ready to use. For production environments, we recommend considering an enterprise license for stable updates and support.

Need help with your installation? Contact us.