Installing Proxmox in the Homelab

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Proxmox is a powerful open-source virtualization platform that allows you to manage virtual machines (VMs) and containers efficiently. This guide walks you through installing Proxmox VE on your homelab server.

Refer to this official installation instrructions page for more detailed information.

Step 1: System Requirements

Minimium Requirements

Before installing, ensure you have:

  • A 64-bit CPU with VT-x/AMD-V support.
  • At least 4GB RAM (8GB+ recommended).
  • A bootable USB drive (8GB or larger).
  • Proxmox VE ISO file from Proxmox official website.
  • A wired internet connection.

My Homelab Hardware

  • Dell Precision Tower 3620 i7-6700
  • RAM 2 x 32GB
  • Boot Disk: 2 TB NVMe Drive
  • HDD 2 x 12TB Enterprise Grade CPU Disks Random Access Memory

Install Proxmox on a Laptop?

Yes, we can install on a laptop that supports VT-x/AMD-V for virtualization. For beginners and not so heavy runners I believe that running proxmox on newer laptops is pretty decent.

  • Laptops are power-efficient and quiet.
  • Great for learning and testing Proxmox.
  • Built-in battery backup acts as a UPS.

Download & Install

Download the latest Proxmox VE ISO.

macOS/Linux

The easiest approach to create a bootable drive is Balena Etcher. Download and flash the drive with proxmox

Windows

Download Rufus. Either install it or use the portable version. Select the destination drive and the Proxmox VE ISO file.

Command Line’rs

On Unix-like operating systems, use the dd command to write the ISO image to a USB flash drive. First, identify the correct device name for the USB drive (refer to the steps below), then execute the dd command.

sudo lsblk  # Get list of devices
sudo dd bs=1M conv=fdatasync if=./proxmox-ve_*.iso of=/dev/XYZ

Step 2: Boot and Install Proxmox

  1. Insert the USB drive into your homelab server.
  2. Boot from the USB drive (Press F12 or ESC to access boot menu).
  3. Select Install Proxmox VE. Step 1

Select the HDD that you prefer to install, I am installing on 2TB, click options to specify the swap size, maxroott and maxvz. Below is the calculations for breaking the hard disk.

# HDD: 500GB (476 usable)
swapsize : Minimum is 4 GB and a maximum of 8GB should be good
maxroot : hdsize/4 : 476/4 = 75GB
maxvz : hdsize - swap - maxroot : 476-12-75=389
  1. Accept the license agreement and select the installation disk.
  2. Configure:
    • Set a strong password for the root user. Step 2
    • Country, Time Zone, and Keyboard Layout. Step 3
    • Assign a hostname (e.g., proxmox.local).
    • Configure network settings (use static IP). Step 4
    • Summary page to review and modify Step 5

Step 3: First Boot & Web Interface

  1. Once installed, remove the USB and reboot.
  2. Access the Proxmox web interface via:
  3. For time being ignore the certificate issue, we will fix it down the line in few days.
https://your-server-ip:8006
  1. Login using:
  • Username: root
  • Password: (Set during installation) Proxmox displays a “No valid subscription” dialog upon login. Click ok and lets work on removing that prompt in Step 4. Will be landing on Datacenter page of promox where we can create VM’s, lxc containers and more…

Data Center

Working as a root all the time is a big “NO”. Lets create a user and work with this new guy everytime.

ssh root@your-server-ip
apt install sudo # Install sudo
adduser newuser
usermod -aG sudo newuser
nano /etc/sudoers
#Add the below line
newuser ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

Failed to SSH, shell is accessible from the webUI. Click on the node name and access the command prompt under the shell. Shell

If installed on a laptop, we need to make sure we can run proxmox even after closing the lid.

# laptop lid closure
nano /etc/systemd/logind.conf
HandleLidSwitch=ignore
HandleLidSwitchExternalPower=ignore
HandleLidSwitchDocked=ignore
systemctl restart systemd-logind.service

Step 5: Update and Enable No-Subscription Repository

There are many administrative tasks that need to performed, there is beautiful community that automated many things Proxmox VE Helper Scripts. These scripts help automate updates, manage virtual machines, and optimize performance.

Proxmox VE Post Install Script: This script provides options for managing Proxmox VE repositories, including disabling the Enterprise Repo, adding or correcting PVE sources, enabling the No-Subscription Repo, adding the test Repo, disabling the subscription nag, updating Proxmox VE, and rebooting the system.

bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/misc/post-pve-install.sh)"
pveupgrade #Upgrades to the latest version

Final Thoughts

Setting up Proxmox is just the beginning! The next steps depend on our homelab goals—whether it’s running self-hosted apps, experimenting with Kubernetes, or learning virtualization best practices.