This guide covers the complete installation and initial setup of Proxmox VE, the open-source virtualization platform for KVM VMs and LXC containers.
Proxmox VE is installed directly on bare-metal server hardware using the official ISO installer. It cannot be installed as a package on an existing Linux system (unlike typical applications).
| Component |
Minimum |
Recommended (Production) |
| CPU |
64-bit with Intel EMT64/AMD-V |
Multi-core with virtualization extensions |
| RAM |
2 GB (1 GB for Proxmox VE) |
32+ GB for production workloads |
| Disk |
32 GB (for OS) |
500+ GB SSD/NVMe for VMs |
| Network |
1 GbE NIC |
10 GbE for clusters |
| Additional |
Virtualization enabled in BIOS |
Hardware RAID, UPS, IPMI/iDRAC |
- ✅ 64-bit CPU with virtualization extensions (Intel EMT64 or AMD-V)
- ✅ Virtualization enabled in BIOS/UEFI settings
- ✅ PXE-capable NIC for network boot (optional)
- ✅ Dedicated server hardware (not recommended for nested virtualization)
- Visit the official download page
- Download the latest ISO (Proxmox VE 9.1 as of November 2025)
- Verify the ISO checksum (SHA256 provided on download page)
- Create bootable USB or mount via IPMI/iDRAC
ISO Download: https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso
# Download ISO
wget https://download.proxmox.com/iso/proxmox-ve_9.1-1.iso
# Verify checksum
sha256sum proxmox-ve_9.1-1.iso
# Write to USB (replace /dev/sdX with your USB device)
sudo dd if=proxmox-ve_9.1-1.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sync
- Download Rufus
- Select Proxmox VE ISO
- Click START to create bootable USB
- Upload ISO to virtual media
- Mount as virtual CD-ROM
- Boot server from virtual CD-ROM
- Insert USB or mount ISO via IPMI
- Boot server and select boot device
- Select “Install Proxmox VE (Graphical)” from menu
- Wait for installer to load
- Read and accept the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Click Next to continue
- Choose the hard disk for Proxmox VE installation
- Warning: Selected disk will be completely formatted
- Click Options for advanced settings:
- Filesystem: ext4 (default), XFS, Btrfs, or ZFS (RAID0, RAID1, RAID10, ZFS RAID)
- ZFS Options: Compression, ashift, checksum
| Setting |
Recommended Value |
| Country |
Your country |
| Timezone |
Your local timezone |
| Keyboard Layout |
Your keyboard layout (usually US or your local) |
¶ 3.4 Set Password and Network
Password Configuration:
- Email Address: Your admin email (for notifications)
- Password: Strong root password (12+ characters recommended)
- Confirm Password: Re-enter password
Network Configuration:
- Hostname: FQDN for your Proxmox node (e.g.,
pve1.example.com)
- IP Address: Static IP for management
- Netmask: Subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0)
- Gateway: Default gateway
- DNS Server: Primary DNS server
Example Network Settings:
Hostname: pve1.example.com
IP Address: 192.168.1.100
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS Server: 8.8.8.8
¶ 3.5 Review and Install
- Review all settings
- Click Install to begin installation
- Wait for installation to complete (5-15 minutes)
- Click Reboot when prompted
¶ Step 4: First Boot and Login
- Remove USB or unmount ISO
- Server will boot from hard disk
After boot completes, access the web interface:
https://YOUR-IP:8006
Example: https://192.168.1.100:8006
| Field |
Value |
| Username |
root |
| Password |
Password set during installation |
| Realm |
Linux PAM standard authentication |
⚠️ Security Warning: You will see a certificate warning because Proxmox uses a self-signed SSL certificate. This is normal for initial setup. Click “Accept Risk and Continue” or add an exception.
By default, Proxmox uses the enterprise repository (requires subscription). For community use:
# SSH to Proxmox host as root
ssh root@YOUR-IP
# Disable enterprise repository
sed -i 's/^deb/#deb/' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list
# Enable no-subscription repository
echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list
# Update package lists
apt update
# Update all packages
apt dist-upgrade -y
# Reboot if kernel was updated
reboot
- Login to web interface
- Navigate to Datacenter → Storage
- Click Add to add additional storage:
- Directory: Local directory storage
- NFS: Network file system
- iSCSI: Block storage
- Ceph: Software-defined storage (for clusters)
- Navigate to Datacenter → Storage → local (pve1)
- Click ISO Images → Upload
- Upload ISO files for VM installation (Ubuntu, Debian, Windows, etc.)
- Click Create VM in top-right corner
- General:
- OS:
- Select ISO image from storage
- System:
- Keep defaults (or enable QEMU Agent)
- Disks:
- Configure disk size and type (SSD recommended)
- CPU:
- Memory:
- Network:
- Configure network bridge and model
- Confirm:
- Review settings and click Finish
¶ 6.2 Start VM and Install OS
- Select VM from tree view
- Click Console
- Click Start
- Complete OS installation via console
- Click CT (top-right) → Create CT
- General:
- Template:
- Download container template from local (pve1) → CT Templates
- Disks:
- CPU:
- Memory:
- Set RAM (containers share host kernel)
- Network:
- Configure network settings
- Confirm:
# Check if pveproxy service is running
systemctl status pveproxy
# Restart web service
systemctl restart pveproxy
# Check firewall
iptables -L -n
- Check BIOS settings: Ensure virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) is enabled
- Check disk: Ensure target disk is detected and healthy
- Check RAM: Run memory test from boot menu
- Check ISO: Verify ISO checksum before installation
# Check network configuration
ip addr show
# Check routing
ip route show
# Test DNS
nslookup proxmox.com
# Check network interfaces
cat /etc/network/interfaces
For automated deployment and configuration, see:
- Official Documentation: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Main_Page
- Admin Guide: https://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/pve-admin-guide.html
- Forum: https://forum.proxmox.com/
- Download: https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us. Find all contact information on our contact page.