Complete Guide to Installing Proxmox VE for Beginners: Start Building Your Own Home Server!

Hello, we’re here to teach you how to install Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE), a powerful open source virtualization platform that can take your digital life to the next level. Follow this guide and you’ll be able to build your own home server and run a variety of services with ease 🏡🚀.

Proxmox VE is a solution that allows you to efficiently run multiple virtual machines (VMs) and containers (LXCs) on a single physical server. Thanks to it, you can make a single PC act as a NAS, media server, web server, and more.

In this article, we’ve tried to make it as easy and detailed as possible for beginners who are trying to install Proxmox VE for the first time. So, let’s get started 💪!

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1. What to prepare for installing Proxmox VE 🎒

Before you start the installation, there are a few things you’ll need. Having them ready ahead of time will make the process much easier.

• **1.1 Prepare your hardware

  • Server or PC: You will need a computer on which to install Proxmox VE.
    • CPU: 64-bit processor (Intel Core i3 or higher or AMD Ryzen 3 or higher recommended). * Virtualization technology (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) support and activation required! ⚠️
    • RAM: Minimum 4 GB, 8 GB or more recommended for smooth usage (more depending on the number of virtual machines).
    • Storage:
      • For OS: SSD 120GB or more (Proxmox OS installation space).
      • For data:** Additional HDD or SSD (virtual machine and data storage space).
    • Network: Wired LAN port required! Proxmox recommends a stable wired network environment.
  • USB Memory: 8GB or more USB memory (to create boot disk).
  • Keyboard, monitor: You will need to connect directly to the server during the installation process.
  • Network cable: For internet connection.

• **1.2 Software Preparation

  • Proxmox VE ISO image: Download from Proxmox official website.
  • Boot USB creation tool: Rufus (Windows), Etcher (Windows/macOS/Linux), etc.

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2. Download the Proxmox VE ISO image 📥

The first thing you need to do is download the Proxmox VE operating system image.

• Go to the official website: https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso-images
• Navigate to the page and download the latest version of “Proxmox VE ISO Installer” (e.g. proxmox-ve_x.x-x.iso)
• After downloading, it is recommended to check the SHA256 checksum in case of possible file corruption. Compare the checksum value of the downloaded file with the checksum value provided on the official website.

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3. Create the boot USB 🚀

Burn the downloaded ISO image to a USB memory to create a boot USB from which you can install Proxmox.

• Using Rufus (Windows recommended): 1.

  1. download and run the program from the Rufus official website (uninstalled version)
  2. In Device, select the USB memory where you want to install Proxmox. (⚠️ Be careful, all data on the USB memory will be deleted!) 3.
  3. click the Select button to select the Proxmox VE ISO image you just downloaded.
  4. Click the Start button, leaving the other settings at their default values.
  5. select “Write in ISO Image mode (Recommended)” and click “OK”.
  6. When a warning message appears, click “OK” to start creating the boot USB.
  7. When the process is complete, click the Close button to exit the program.

• Using Etcher (macOS/Linux or if you prefer an easier method): 1.

  1. Download and install the Etcher program.
  2. Launch Etcher and click Flash from file to select the Proxmox VE ISO image.
  3. Click Select target to select the USB memory you want to use as the boot USB.
  4. Click the Flash! button to start creating the boot USB.

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4. Change BIOS/UEFI settings ⚙️

On the server or PC where Proxmox VE will be installed, you need to change the boot order so that the USB memory is recognized first. You also need to make sure that virtualization technology (VT-x/AMD-V) is enabled.

• Entering the BIOS/UEFI: **Enter the BIOS/UEFI.
  • Enter the BIOS or UEFI setup screen by pressing one of the following keys immediately after turning on the computer: Delete, F2, F10, F12, etc. (varies by manufacturer)
• Main Settings: * **Boot Order (Boot Order)
  • Boot Order/Boot Priority: In the Boot or Startup menu, move the USB memory (or may be labeled as a USB HDD/USB FDD, etc.) to the top and set it to boot first.
  • Enable Virtualization Technology: * **Enable Virtualization Technology.
    • In menus such as Advanced, CPU Configuration, Security, etc., find the entry for “Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)”, “Intel VT-d”, “AMD-V”, “SVM Mode”, etc. and change it to Enabled. Make sure to check this, as Proxmox won’t let you create virtual machines if you don’t enable these settings! ⚠️
  • Save the settings and exit (usually Save & Exit or F10)

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5. Start installing Proxmox VE 🖥️

Now it’s time to boot the server with the Proxmox VE boot USB and proceed with the installation.

• 5.1 Entering the Boot and Installation Screen 1.

  1. turn on the server with the boot USB connected.
  2. If the BIOS/UEFI settings are correct, the Proxmox VE boot menu will appear.
  3. Select Install Proxmox VE and press Enter.
  4. The installation wizard will start with the Proxmox VE logo.

• **5.2 EULA Acceptance

  1. the “End User License Agreement (EULA)” screen will appear.
  2. click the I agree button to proceed to the next step.

• **5.3 Select the target disk

  1. select the target disk to install Proxmox VE. You can select the file system by clicking the Options button.** 2.
     • ZFS (RAID): Provides data integrity and advanced features, but has high RAM requirements. It is advantageous when multiple disks are grouped together to form a RAID.
     • ext4/xfs: A common Linux file system. Suitable for single-disk installations, it has low RAM requirements and may be more beginner-friendly.
     • If you are a beginner, we recommend choosing ext4 or xfs for a single SSD. 3.
  2. click Next.

• 5.4 Setting the country, time zone, and keyboard layout 1.

  1. select Korea, Republic of under Country. 2.
  2. Time zone is automatically set to Asia/Seoul.
  3. leave us as Keyboard Layout.
  4. click Next.

• 5.5 Setting the administrator password and email 1.

  1. in Password and Confirm password, set the password for the root account to be used when logging into the Proxmox VE web interface. Set a secure password and remember it so you never forget it! 🔑 2.
  2. Enter your Email address (optional, but useful for receiving notifications, etc. later).
  3. click Next.

• 5.6 Network Settings 💡

  1. Set up the network settings for your Proxmox VE server. This is very important!
     • Hostname: Specify the name of the server (e.g. pve-server)
     • IP Address: Enter a static IP address to assign to the server. (Example: 192.168.1.100/24) ➡️ /24 means the subnet mask (255.255.255.0).
     • Gateway: Enter the network gateway (router IP address). (Example: 192.168.1.1)
     • DNS Server: Enter the DNS server address. (For example, 8.8.8.8 or router IP 192.168.1.1)
  2. double-check that all information is entered correctly.
  3. Click Next.

5.7 Summarize and Proceed with the Installation** 1.

1. A summary of all the information you have set up so far will be displayed.
2. double-check that all information is correct, and if everything is fine, click the Install button.
3. the installation will start and the progress will be displayed (this may take a few minutes to tens of minutes).
4. When the installation is complete, you will see the message Installation successful and the Reboot button will become active.
5. Click the Reboot button. **Please remove the boot USB before rebooting!

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6. Access the Proxmox VE Web Interface 🌐

After the server reboots, the Proxmox VE console login screen appears on the monitor. This screen displays the IP address, which allows you to access the Proxmox VE web interface from another computer.

• 6.1 Determining the IP Address: * To determine the IP address.
  • At the top of the console screen, you will see an address like https://[IP_address you set]:8006 (e.g., https://192.168.1.100:8006)
• 6.2 Accessing a web browser: 1.
  1. Open a web browser on another PC or smartphone.
  2. In the address bar, enter https://[Proxmox_IP]:8006 that you saw above.
  3. You may see an SSL certificate warning. Proxmox uses a self-signed certificate, so ignore it and continue to connect. (Click Advanced or Details -> Continue)
• 6.3 Login: 1.
  1. When the login screen appears, enter root in the Username field.
  2. in Password, enter the password you set during installation.
  3. change the Language to Korean and click the Login button.
• 6.4 Subscription Notification: 1.
  1. When you log in, you will see a popup saying “You do not have a valid subscription”. Proxmox VE is open source, but the enterprise version offers a paid subscription. It is not required for home users, just click the OK button to close it.

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7. Initial setup and tips after installation! ✅ (Optional)

You have successfully finished installing Proxmox VE! Now you can make your experience more pleasant with some initial settings.

• **Apply the latest update to 7.1
  • Click Data Center -> [Server Name] -> Updates in the left menu of the web interface.
  • Click the Refresh button, and then click the Upgrade button to proceed with the update.
  • Alternatively, log in to the Proxmox server console and enter the following commands

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt dist-upgrade -y

    This process will keep your system up to date and address any security vulnerabilities.

7.2 Disabling the Enterprise Repository (Optional)**

• Proxmox provides a stable enterprise update repository for paid subscription users. Since regular home users should use the free updates, it is recommended that you disable the enterprise repository and enable the free repository, which is enabled by default, otherwise you may encounter errors when updating.
• Click Data Center -> [Server Name] -> Shell in the left menu of the web interface to open a terminal.
• Enter the following command to deactivate the enterprise repository file.

      sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list

• Add the no-subscription repository by typing the following command.

      echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve $(lsb_release -sc) pve-no-subscription" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list

• Afterward, run the sudo apt update command again to apply the changes. You should now be able to update without any errors.

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Closing remarks ✨

Congratulations! 🎉 You have now successfully installed Proxmox VE, transforming your physical server into a powerful virtualization host.

The next step is to create virtual machines (VMs) or containers (LXCs) to run the services you want. For example, you can create Windows/Linux server VMs, or Ubuntu LXCs for Docker containers.

Proxmox VE can seem complicated at first, but the web interface is intuitive and the community resources are plentiful, so once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to take advantage of its many features.

If you have any questions or get stuck, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments! We wish you success in building your home server. In my next post, I’ll cover how to create virtual machines in Proxmox. Happy server life! 😊💻