Proxmox VE: Create Your First Virtual Machine

Proxmox Virtual Environment is a free, open-source virtualization platform that rivals VMware. Perfect for home labs and production. This guide gets you from zero to running VMs.

Prerequisites

• A dedicated machine (or bare-metal server)
• 8GB+ RAM recommended
• Proxmox VE ISO from proxmox.com

Step 1: Install Proxmox

1. Boot from the Proxmox ISO
2. Select target disk
3. Set country, timezone, and keyboard
4. Set root password and email
5. Configure networking:

- Management interface - Hostname (e.g., pve.local) - IP address, gateway, DNS

1. Install and reboot

Step 2: Access the Web Interface

Open https://your-proxmox-ip:8006 in your browser.

Login: root / your password.

Ignore the "No valid subscription" warning — click OK.

Step 3: Upload an ISO

1. Go to local storage > ISO Images
2. Click Upload and select your OS ISO (e.g., Ubuntu Server)
3. Wait for upload to complete

Or download directly:

# SSH into Proxmox
cd /var/lib/vz/template/iso/
wget https://releases.ubuntu.com/22.04/ubuntu-22.04-live-server-amd64.iso

Step 4: Create a Virtual Machine

1. Click Create VM (top right)
2. General: Name your VM, set VM ID
3. OS: Select your uploaded ISO
4. System:

- Machine: q35 - BIOS: OVMF (UEFI) for modern OS - Add EFI disk

1. Disks:

- Size: 32GB+ - Storage: local-lvm - Enable Discard and SSD emulation if on SSD

1. CPU: 2+ cores
2. Memory: 2048MB+ (4096 recommended)
3. Network: vmbr0 bridge, VirtIO driver

Click Finish.

Step 5: Install the OS

1. Select your VM in the left panel
2. Click Start
3. Click Console to see the screen
4. Follow the OS installation wizard
5. After install, remove the ISO:

- Hardware > CD/DVD > Do not use any media

Step 6: Install QEMU Guest Agent

Inside the VM:

sudo apt install qemu-guest-agent
sudo systemctl enable qemu-guest-agent
sudo systemctl start qemu-guest-agent

In Proxmox: VM > Options > QEMU Guest Agent > Enable

This enables proper shutdown, IP reporting, and snapshot consistency.

Step 7: Take a Snapshot

1. Select VM > Snapshots
2. Click Take Snapshot
3. Name it (e.g., "clean-install")
4. Include RAM state if you want to save running state

Rollback anytime if something breaks.

Step 8: Useful Tips

Clone a VM:

• Right-click VM > Clone
• Choose Full Clone for independent copy
• Great for creating test environments

Resource monitoring:

• Datacenter > Summary shows cluster-wide stats
• Each VM shows CPU, memory, network, and disk I/O

Backup:

• Datacenter > Backup > Add schedule
• Back up VMs to local storage or NFS/SMB share

Conclusion

You now have a working Proxmox server with your first VM. From here, explore containers (LXC), clustering, ZFS storage, and GPU passthrough. Proxmox is incredibly capable for a free product.