How To Install Proxmox VE on a Server

A Complete Guide for Deploying Proxmox VE on Your Server

Photo by Florian Krumm on Unsplash

Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) is an open-source, Debian-based, type 1 hypervisor. Its primary meant to run on bare metal hardware, but you can also install it within an OS.

Here’s how you can install Proxmox on a server. I’ll be using a rack sever, but you can install it on a workstation or laptop.

STEP 1. Prepare the Proxmox ISO

Download the Proxmox VE ISO from the download link provided below.

Once downloaded, you can write the ISO to your flash drive using a program such as balenaEtcher or similar programs. I’ll be using a Ventoy configured USB drive (Thanks to 4rkal for the guide). Ventoy allows you to have multiple bootable ISO images on a single USB drive.

Download: Proxmox

STEP 2: Starting the Proxmox Installer

Next, plug in the USB drive to your server or PC and power it On. Access the boot menu by pressing one of the F keys or the Esc key to boot from your USB drive, in my case, it is the F10 key.

Since I’m using Ventoy, I need to select the ISO image that I want to install, as you can see from the following screen I have…