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Phase 1 - Installing Proxmox

Installing Your First Proxmox Node:

Introduction

Welcome to the first real tutorial in our homelab series! Today we're installing Proxmox VE - the virtualization platform that will form the foundation of your entire homelab. By the end of this guide, you'll have a fully functional Proxmox server ready to host virtual machines and containers.

Difficulty Level: Beginner
Time Required: 45-60 minutes
What You'll Learn: - How to choose appropriate hardware for Proxmox - Creating a bootable USB installer - Installing and configuring Proxmox VE - Understanding disk layouts and network configuration

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have: - A dedicated computer/server for Proxmox (minimum 16GB RAM, 250GB storage) - A USB stick (8GB or larger) - A network cable - Access to your router/network settings - Another computer to create the USB installer and access the web interface

Part 1: Hardware Considerations

Do You Need Expensive Hardware?

The short answer: No!

For most homelab scenarios, you don't need enterprise-grade equipment. Here's what actually matters:

Memory (RAM): This is your primary constraint - Minimum: 16GB - Recommended: 32GB or more - Why: Each VM and container needs memory; Proxmox itself is lightweight

Storage: Quality over quantity to start - Minimum: 250GB - Recommended: Multiple disks of different sizes - Why: Separation of OS and data storage

CPU: Almost anything modern works - Any multi-core processor from the last 5-7 years - Intel i5/i7, AMD Ryzen, or even older Xeon processors - More cores = more VMs running simultaneously

The Homelab Addiction Notice

Fair warning: most homelabbers don't stay at one node. You'll start with one machine, then six months later you're planning a three-node cluster. It's a slippery slope, but at least you'll know what you're doing by then!

Planning Your Disk Layout

The Golden Rule: Use your smallest disk for Proxmox OS.

Why? Proxmox itself needs minimal space (32-64GB comfortably), but your VMs and containers will consume all available storage. Don't waste your biggest disk on the OS.

Ideal Setup Example: 

Disk 1: 128GB SSD  → Proxmox OS
Disk 2: 500GB SSD  → Fast VM storage (databases, containers)
Disk 3: 2TB HDD    → Bulk storage (media, backups)

Benefits of multiple disks: - Separation of OS and data - Better performance (spread I/O across disks) - Flexibility for different storage types - Easier troubleshooting

Part 2: Downloading Proxmox VE

Step 1: Get the ISO

  1. Go to https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads
  2. Click on "Proxmox Virtual Environment"
  3. Download the latest ISO installer (currently 9.x series)
  4. No registration required - it's free!

Proxmox download page showing the ISO download button: Proxmox download page Figure 1: Proxmox download page showing the ISO download button

The download page provides checksums (SHA256). You can verify your download isn't corrupted:

Windows (PowerShell): 

Get-FileHash .\proxmox-ve_*.iso -Algorithm SHA256

Linux/Mac: 

sha256sum proxmox-ve_*.iso

Compare the output with the checksum on the website.

Part 3: Creating a Bootable USB

Tools You'll Need

Choose based on your operating system:

Windows: - Rufus - Lightweight and reliable - Etcher - Cross-platform, very simple

macOS/Linux: - Etcher - Easiest option - dd command - For terminal enthusiasts

Using Rufus (Windows)

  1. Download and run Rufus (no installation needed)
  2. Insert your USB stick
  3. Rufus should auto-detect your USB device
  4. Click SELECT and choose your Proxmox ISO file
  5. Partition scheme: Leave as "MBR" (or "GPT" for UEFI systems)
  6. Leave other settings at defaults
  7. Click START
  8. If prompted about ISOHybrid or DD mode: choose DD Image mode
  9. Confirm you want to erase the USB stick
  10. Wait for completion (2-5 minutes)

Rufus with USB selected and ISO loaded:

Proxmox download page Figure 2: Rufus with USB selected and ISO loaded

The DD Image mode selection dialog:

Proxmox download page Figure 3: The DD Image mode selection dialog

Using Etcher (All Platforms)

  1. Download and install Etcher
  2. Insert your USB stick
  3. Click Flash from file and select your Proxmox ISO
  4. Click Select target and choose your USB device
  5. Click Flash!
  6. Enter your password if prompted
  7. Wait for completion and verification

Etcher with ISO and USB selected: Proxmox download page Figure 4: Etcher with ISO and USB selected

Pro Tip: Label your USB stick! Write "Proxmox 9.x Installer" on it. Future you will appreciate this when you have multiple installer USBs lying around.

Pro Tip 2: Check out Ventoy! With Ventoy you just need to copy the ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files to the USB drive and boot them directly. You can copy many files at a time and Ventoy will give you a boot menu to select them.

Part 4: Installing Proxmox VE

Step 1: Boot from USB

  1. Insert the USB stick into your target machine
  2. Power on the machine
  3. Press the boot menu key during startup:
  4. Common keys: F12, F11, F8, ESC, or DEL
  5. Check your motherboard manual if unsure
  6. Select your USB device from the boot menu
  7. Wait for the Proxmox installer to load

Proxmox installer boot screen: Proxmox download page Figure 5: Proxmox installer boot screen

Step 2: Start Installation

  1. Select Install Proxmox VE (first option)
  2. Press Enter
  3. Wait for the graphical installer to load (30-60 seconds)
  4. Read the EULA
  5. Click I agree

End User License Agreement screen: Proxmox download page Figure 6: End User License Agreement screen

Step 3: Select Target Disk

This is important - choose carefully!

  1. The installer shows all available disks
  2. Select your smallest disk (the one designated for Proxmox OS)
  3. Click Options to configure the filesystem

Disk selection screen showing available disks: Proxmox download page Figure 7: Disk selection screen showing available disks

Filesystem Options Explained

ext4 - Traditional Linux filesystem - Proven, stable, reliable - Best for: Beginners, simple setups - My recommendation for first-time installations

XFS - Modern Linux filesystem - Good for large files - Best for: Slightly more advanced users

ZFS (RAID0) - Advanced filesystem with snapshots and compression - RAID0 = striping (performance, no redundancy) - Best for: If you know you want ZFS features - Warning: No redundancy - if disk fails, data is lost

ZFS (RAID1) - Mirrors data across two disks - Best for: If you have two identical small SSDs for redundancy - Provides: Protection against single disk failure

ZFS (RAID10) - Requires 4+ disks - Overkill for Proxmox OS installation

My Recommendation: Start with ext4. It's simple, reliable, and you can always reinstall later if you want to experiment with ZFS.

Filesystem Options Screen

  1. Click Options button
  2. Select ext4 from filesystem dropdown
  3. Leave other settings at defaults
  4. Click OK

Filesystem selection dialog: Proxmox download page Figure 8: Filesystem selection dialog

Step 4: Location and Time Zone

  1. Select your Country
  2. Select your Time Zone
  3. Select your Keyboard Layout
  4. Click Next

Why this matters: Correct timestamps in logs, scheduled tasks run at expected times, and proper keyboard mapping.

Location and timezone selection screen: Proxmox download page Figure 9: Location and timezone selection screen

Step 5: Administration Password and Email

  1. Enter a strong root password
  2. Re-enter the password to confirm
  3. Enter your email address

Critical: Save this password in a password manager immediately! You'll need it to access Proxmox.

Email address: Use a real, monitored email. Proxmox sends system alerts here (disk failures, updates, etc.).

Password and email configuration screen: Proxmox download page Figure 10: Password and email configuration screen

Step 6: Network Configuration

This is crucial - take your time here.

Select Management Interface

  1. Select your primary network interface from the dropdown
  2. Usually named: enp0s3, eth0, eno1, or similar
  3. If you have multiple, choose the one connected to your network

Network configuration screen (before filling in, IP is from DHCP): Proxmox download page Figure 11: Network configuration screen (before filling in, IP is from DHCP)

Set Hostname (FQDN)

Your Proxmox host needs a Fully Qualified Domain Name.

Format: hostname.domain.tld

Examples: - pve01.homelab.local - proxmox.home.lan - hypervisor01.internal.local

Even without a real domain, use .local or .home as the suffix.

IP Address Configuration

You have two options:

Option 1: DHCP (Not Recommended) - Router assigns IP automatically - Problem: IP might change after reboot - Result: You can't find your Proxmox server

Option 2: Static IP (Strongly Recommended) - You manually assign a permanent IP - Server is always accessible at the same address - This is what you want for any server

How to Choose a Static IP

  1. Check your router's DHCP range
  2. Log into your router admin panel
  3. Find DHCP settings

  4. Note the range (e.g., 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.200)

  5. Pick an IP outside the DHCP range but in the same subnet

  6. If DHCP is .100-.200, use something like .10 or .50

  7. Common choice: 192.168.1.10

  8. Find your router's IP (your gateway)

  9. Usually: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1

  10. Check your current computer's network settings if unsure

  11. Optional: Set a Mac Address reservation in your router binding it to your Proxmox

  12. Log into your router admin panel
  13. Find MAC Reservation settings
  14. Configure as your router needs

Fill in Network Settings

Example configuration: 

Hostname (FQDN): pve01.homelab.local
IP Address: 192.168.1.10
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS Server: 192.168.1.1

Network configuration screen filled in with example values: Proxmox download page Figure 12: Network configuration screen filled in with example values

Important: Write down your IP address! You'll need it to access the web interface.

Click Next to continue.

Step 7: Summary and Install

  1. Review all your settings carefully
  2. Double-check:
  3. ✓ Correct target disk selected
  4. ✓ Static IP address configured
  5. ✓ Hostname is set properly

  6. ✓ Email address is correct

  7. If everything looks good, click Install

  8. The installation begins

Final summary before installation starts: Proxmox download page Figure 13: Final summary before installation starts

Installation time: 5-10 minutes depending on disk speed.

Installation in progress: Proxmox download page Figure 14: Installation in progress

Step 8: First Boot

  1. When installation completes, you'll see a success message
  2. Click Reboot
  3. Remove the USB stick during reboot
  4. The system will boot into Proxmox VE

After reboot, you'll see a console screen like this: 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the Proxmox Virtual Environment. Please use your web browser 
to configure this server - connect to:

  https://192.168.1.10:8006/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proxmox console after first boot showing the web URL: Proxmox download page Figure 16: Proxmox console after first boot showing the web URL

Part 5: Accessing the Web Interface

Step 1: Open Your Browser

On another computer on the same network:

  1. Open a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge - any modern browser)
  2. Navigate to: https://YOUR-IP:8006/
  3. Replace YOUR-IP with your actual IP (e.g., https://192.168.1.10:8006/)
  4. Press Enter

Step 2: Security Warning

You'll see a security warning about an invalid certificate. This is completely normal!

Why? Proxmox generates a self-signed SSL certificate during installation. Your browser doesn't recognize it because it's not from a trusted authority.

Is it safe? Yes, for your local homelab. You're connecting directly to your server on your own network.

How to proceed:

Chrome/Edge: 1. Click Advanced 2. Click Proceed to [your-ip] (unsafe)

Firefox: 1. Click Advanced 2. Click Accept the Risk and Continue

Browser SSL warning: Proxmox download page Figure 17: Browser SSL warning

Step 3: Login

You'll see the Proxmox login screen.

Login credentials: - Username: root - Realm: Linux PAM standard authentication (default) - Password: The root password you set during installation - Language: Choose your preference

Click Login

Proxmox web interface login page: Proxmox download page Figure 18: Proxmox web interface login page

Step 4: Subscription Notice

Immediately after login, you'll see a popup: 

No valid subscription

You do not have a valid subscription for this server. Please visit 
www.proxmox.com to get a list of available options.

Don't panic! This is normal and expected.

What it means: Proxmox VE is free and open source. The "subscription" is for: - Enterprise support - Access to the enterprise update repository - Supporting the Proxmox development team

For home use, you can use the "no-subscription" repository and get all the same features.

For now: Just click OK to dismiss it. We'll configure the no-subscription repository in the next tutorial.

Subscription notice popup: Proxmox download page Figure 19: Subscription notice popup

Step 5: Welcome to Proxmox!

Congratulations! You're now looking at the Proxmox web interface.

Proxmox dashboard after first login: Proxmox download page Figure 20: Proxmox dashboard after first login

Quick tour of what you're seeing:

Left sidebar: - Your Proxmox node (server) is listed - "Datacenter" is the top-level container - Your node name (e.g., "pve01") appears below it

Center panel: - Summary tab shows system resources: - CPU usage - Memory usage - Storage - Network traffic - Uptime

Top toolbar: - Create VM button - Create CT (container) button - Various management options

Take a moment to click around and explore. You can't break anything just by looking!

Understanding Disk Encryption (Important Sidebar)

During installation, you may have noticed an encryption option. Let's discuss when you'd want this.

What is Full Disk Encryption?

Full disk encryption (FDE) scrambles all data on your disk. Without the encryption password, the data is unreadable - even if someone physically steals the drive.

Should You Enable It?

Consider encryption if: - Your server is in a shared/public space - You store sensitive personal or business data - You might sell or dispose of hardware later - You want maximum security (peace of mind)

Skip encryption if: - Your server is in a secure, private location - You want automatic recovery after power outages - You prioritize ease of maintenance - The tiny performance overhead matters to you

The Catch

If you enable encryption, you must enter the password every time the server boots. This means: - No automatic restart after power failures - Remote reboots require remote console access - Forgotten password = complete data loss

For most homelabbers: Encryption isn't critical for the Proxmox OS disk. You can encrypt individual VM disks later if needed for sensitive data.

Next Steps and Homework

Congratulations! You now have a working Proxmox node. But it's an empty canvas - we need to put it to use.

Before Next Week

  1. Explore the interface - Click around, familiarize yourself with the layout
  2. Check the Summary view - See your available resources (CPU, RAM, storage)
  3. Save your credentials - Add the root password to your password manager
  4. Bookmark the web interface - You'll be visiting it often!
  5. Optional: Read about VMs vs. containers if you're curious

What's Coming Next Week

In Phase 5: Understanding VMs and Containers, we'll cover:

  • What are Virtual Machines? - Full operating systems in isolated environments
  • What are LXC Containers? - Lightweight, fast application containers
  • VMs vs. Containers - When to use each (with real examples)
  • Creating your first VM - Step-by-step walkthrough
  • Creating your first container - Lighter and faster alternative
  • Installing your first useful service - Something that will make you excited about homelabbing!
  • Resource management basics - Making sure you don't run out of RAM

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Can't Access Web Interface

Problem: Browser shows "This site can't be reached"

Solutions: 1. Verify the IP address is correct (check the console screen) 2. Make sure you're on the same network 3. Try http:// instead of https:// (then immediately switch back) 4. Check if port 8006 is open: telnet YOUR-IP 8006 5. Restart the Proxmox server if needed

Forgot Root Password

Problem: Can't log in to web interface

Solution: You'll need physical/console access 1. Boot into single-user mode (reboot, edit GRUB entry, add single) 2. Reset password with passwd root 3. Reboot normally

Prevention: Use a password manager!

Installation Failed

Problem: Installer errors during installation

Common causes: 1. Bad USB stick - try a different one 2. ISO corruption - re-download and verify checksum 3. Hardware incompatibility - check Proxmox forums 4. Insufficient disk space - need at least 32GB

Network Not Working

Problem: Can't ping gateway, no internet

Solutions: 1. Verify network cable is plugged in 2. Check IP configuration: ip addr show 3. Check gateway: ip route show 4. Test connectivity: ping 8.8.8.8 5. Verify DNS: cat /etc/resolv.conf

Conclusion

You've just completed the first major step in your homelab journey! You now have a professional-grade virtualization platform running in your home.

Take a moment to appreciate what you've accomplished: - ✓ Planned appropriate hardware - ✓ Created a bootable installer - ✓ Installed a bare-metal hypervisor - ✓ Configured networking properly - ✓ Accessed the web management interface

This is the foundation everything else will build upon.

Next week, we'll start making this server actually do something useful. We'll create virtual machines, spin up containers, and install your first self-hosted service.

The fun is just beginning!

— Locuz

P.S. If your installation went smoothly on the first try: congratulations! If it didn't: welcome to homelabbing. You learn way more from troubleshooting than from things magically working. Embrace the struggle - it makes the victories sweeter.

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