Proxmox Virtual Environment (Proxmox VE) is an open-source virtualization platform that combines two powerful technologies: KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) for virtual machines and LXC (Linux Containers) for lightweight container-based virtualization. It’s possible to install Proxmox VE in one of two ways.
- Using the Proxmox distribution ISO. (Coming Soon)
- Install Proxmox VE files on top of a clean Debian install. (This guide)
Before installing Proxmox you need to decide what services you are going to use as this will dictate which way you will install Proxmox. Installing Proxmox using a clean Debian install and APT will install Proxmox on Logical Volume (LVM). If you want to use Proxmox with ZFS storage, mount the Proxmox ISO on your server and install Proxmox from ISO. Using this guide we will install Proxmox on the main hard drive in a Dedicated Server. We will then configure additional hard drives from the Proxmox GUI. This guide assumes you have decided if you want to use RAID or not and the server is partitioned to your needs.
Install Proxmox Debian 11
The next step is to install the APT sources. Use the command below. Copy and paste it to the console on your dedicated server.
curl -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bullseye.gpg http://download.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bullseye.gpg
echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bullseye pve-no-subscription" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-install-repo.listAnd next, update APT.
apt update
apt full-upgradeFinally, it’s time to install Proxmox VE.
apt install proxmox-veOnce Proxmox VE has been installed. Reboot the dedicated server and you should see that the Proxmox kernel is loaded.
uname -rProxmox Network Configuration
So the next step is to configure your networking. You have two options which are a Routed Proxmox Network or a Bridged Network Configuration. If you are using Proxmox for KVM virtualization where any Linux and Windows OS can be used for guests. We suggest Bridged networking. If you only want to use LXC. A routed configuration should be sufficient. The default option would be a Bridged configuration. In a bridged environment, you assign MACS to IPs which then also allows you to use DHCP with Proxmox to assign IPs to guests. Choose which configuration you require and follow the guide then, come back here.
Configuring Additional Drives
Finally, In the Proxmox GUI located at https://your-host.com:8006/. Navigate to Datacentre > Storage > Add. Choose what type of storage to configure on your additional hard drive. We suggest LVM-Thin on Proxmox hosts that are not joined in a Cluster. LVM-Thins will allow you to assign more space than what is available on the drive. With a standard LVM, any space assigned is reserved even if not in use which is wasteful. If you want to cluster Proxmox. Take a look at ZFS and CEPH for the second drive.
