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Proxmox VE 9 Installation

Installing Proxmox VE 9

Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source virtualization platform that combines container and full virtualization. This guide walks you through the installation process of Proxmox VE 9.

Installation Process

The Proxmox VE installation is straightforward and consists of several configuration screens. Here’s what you’ll encounter:

1. End User License Agreement

The first screen that appears is the End User License Agreement (EULA). Accept them to proceed with the installation.

2. Target Disk and Filesystem Selection

Next, you’ll choose:

  • Target disk: Select the drive where Proxmox VE will be installed
  • Filesystem: Choose from the available options:
    • ext4: Traditional Linux filesystem, reliable and well-tested
    • xfs: High-performance filesystem, good for large files
    • btrfs: Modern filesystem with advanced features like snapshots
    • ZFS: Advanced filesystem with built-in RAID, compression, and data integrity features
For this installation, ZFS RAID0 was selected. ZFS provides excellent data integrity features and built-in RAID capabilities, making it ideal for virtualization environments.

3. Location and Keyboard Settings

Configure your regional settings:

  • Country: Select your country for proper timezone and locale settings
  • Time zone: Choose your local timezone
  • Keyboard layout: Select the appropriate keyboard layout for your region

4. Administrator Password and Email

Set up the root account:

  • Password: Enter a strong password for the root user
  • Confirm password: Re-enter the password to confirm
  • Email: Provide an email address for system notifications and alerts
Choose a strong password as the root account has full administrative privileges over your Proxmox VE system.

5. Management Network Configuration

This is one of the most important configuration steps. You’ll configure:

Network Interface

  • Management interface: Select the network port that will be used for Proxmox VE management
  • If multiple network ports are available, choose the one connected to your network (indicated by a green dot)
  • In single-port setups, only one option will be available and pre-selected

Network Settings

  • Hostname (FQDN): Enter the fully qualified domain name for your Proxmox server

    • Example: proxmox.example.local
    • This hostname will be used to access the web interface and for cluster communication

  • IP Address (CIDR): Specify the static IP address for your Proxmox server

    • Example: 10.0.0.10/24
    • The /24 indicates a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0
    • Choose an IP address that’s within your network range but outside your DHCP pool

  • Gateway: Enter your network gateway IP address

    • Example: 10.0.0.1
    • This is typically your router’s IP address

  • DNS Server: Specify the DNS server IP address

    • Example: 10.0.0.1 (using the gateway as DNS)
    • You can also use public DNS servers like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1
Understanding FQDN: The Fully Qualified Domain Name should resolve to your Proxmox server’s IP address. This is important for proper SSL certificate generation and cluster operations.
IP Address Planning: Choose a static IP address outside your DHCP range to avoid conflicts. Document this IP address as you’ll use it to access the Proxmox web interface.

6. Installation Summary

The final configuration screen displays a summary table with all your selected options:

  • Filesystem
  • Disk(s)
  • Country
  • Timezone
  • Keymap
  • Email
  • Management Interface
  • Hostname
  • IP CIDR
  • Gateway
  • DNS

Review all settings carefully before proceeding.

Auto-reboot Option

At the bottom of the summary screen, you’ll find a checkbox:

  • “Automatically reboot after successful installation” (checked by default)
  • Leave this checked for automatic reboot, or uncheck if you want to manually restart

7. Installation Progress

During the installation process, the Virtualization Platform screen is displayed. This screen provides information about Proxmox VE, including:

  • Open Source Virtualization Platform: Proxmox VE is completely open source
  • Container Virtualization: Support for LXC containers
  • Full Virtualization (KVM): Support for virtual machines using KVM
  • Additional Resources:

After the installation completes and the system reboots, you can proceed to access your Proxmox VE installation as described below.

Post-Installation

Go to the Proxmox VE web interface by navigating to the IP address you set at step 5.

For example, with the IP address used in this guide:

https://10.0.0.10:8006

Log in using:

  • Username: root
  • Password: The password you set during installation

Post-Installation Setup

Now that you’ve installed Proxmox VE, you can proceed to the post-installation setup.

Don’t skip the post-installation setup! The guide covers essential configuration steps including repository setup, subscription management, and system optimization that are crucial for a properly functioning Proxmox VE installation.
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