Getting Started with Proxmox¶

What You'll Learn

How to install and configure Proxmox VE, including post-install optimizations, repository setup, and initial hardening.

Prerequisites¶

Dedicated server or bare-metal hardware
USB drive for installation media
Basic Linux knowledge

Installation¶

Download & Flash¶

Download the latest Proxmox VE ISO from the official site and flash it to a USB drive:

# On Linux/macOS
dd if=proxmox-ve_*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Post-Install Configuration¶

After installation, SSH into your new Proxmox host and run through these initial steps.

1. Remove Enterprise Repository (if no subscription)¶

# Disable enterprise repo
sed -i 's/^deb/#deb/' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list

# Add 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 full-upgrade -y

2. Remove Subscription Nag (Optional)¶

# This removes the "No valid subscription" popup in the web UI
sed -Ezi.bak "s/(Ext\.Msg\.show\(\{.*?title: gettext\('No valid sub)/void\(\{ \/\/\1/g" /usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js
systemctl restart pveproxy

Warning

This modification will be overwritten on package updates. Consider scripting it with Ansible for persistence.

3. Configure Networking¶

# Example /etc/network/interfaces for VLAN-aware bridge
auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet static
    address 10.0.0.10/24
    gateway 10.0.0.1
    bridge-ports eno1
    bridge-stp off
    bridge-fd 0
    bridge-vlan-aware yes
    bridge-vids 2-4094
    mtu 9000  # Jumbo frames - ensure switch supports this

MTU Matters

Make sure your MTU is consistent across all nodes and your switch. Mismatched MTU settings can cause mysterious performance issues and packet loss. Ask me how I know.

Next Steps¶

Create your first VM
Set up cloud-init templates
Configure automated backups
Join nodes into a cluster

This is a living document. Last updated as configurations evolve.