How to Install Proxmox VE: Beginner's Guide (2026)
To install Proxmox VE, download the current ISO (9.2) from proxmox.com, write it to a USB stick with balenaEtcher or Rufus in DD mode, boot the machine from it, pick your target disk and filesystem, then set the network and root password. After one reboot you manage everything from the web interface at https://your-server-ip:8006. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes.
That's the short version. The part nobody warns you about is what happens after the install: on a fresh box, the first apt update fails with a 401 error, and the way you fix it changed completely in Proxmox VE 9. I'll walk through the whole process and get you to a working first VM, including the gotchas I've hit myself.
This guide covers a clean bare-metal install of Proxmox VE 9.2 (released May 2026, based on Debian 13 "Trixie") on your own hardware — a spare PC, a homelab server, or a mini PC.
What do you need before installing Proxmox?
Proxmox is a bare-metal hypervisor. It takes over the entire disk and replaces whatever OS is on the machine, so don't install it on a computer you still need for anything else.
The hard requirement is a 64-bit x86 CPU (Intel or AMD) with virtualization extensions — Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Without them, no VM will start. On plenty of consumer boards and mini PCs this is switched off by default, so go into the BIOS/UEFI and enable it before you do anything else. Look for a setting called "Intel Virtualization Technology", "SVM Mode", or similar.
Beyond that, the official minimums are modest:
- CPU: 64-bit x86 with VT-x / AMD-V enabled
- RAM: 2 GB for the host and Proxmox services, plus whatever your VMs need. 8 GB or more is realistic once you run a couple of machines.
- Storage: a dedicated disk of at least 32 GB. An SSD or NVMe drive makes a big difference to VM responsiveness.
- Network: at least one wired NIC. Intel NICs are the safe choice; Realtek works but has caused driver headaches on some kernel versions.
- A second computer on the same network to reach the web interface afterwards.
If you're installing Proxmox on a mini PC — an Intel N100/N305 box or a NUC-style unit are popular homelab picks — check two things: that VT-x is enabled in its BIOS, and that it has enough RAM. Most cheap N100 units cap at 16 GB, which is fine for three or four light VMs and not much more. Plan for dedicated RAM per VM; unlike containers, you can't overcommit memory to KVM guests without asking for trouble.
How to install Proxmox VE, step by step
Four stages: get the ISO, write it to USB, run the installer, finish the network setup. None of them is hard.
Step 1 – Download and check the ISO
Grab the latest image from the official downloads page under "Proxmox Virtual Environment". The current file is proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso, roughly 1.7 GB. Always take the newest ISO rather than an old 8.x one — the base OS and the repository layout both changed in version 9.
Before you write it, verify the checksum against the SHA256SUM shown on the download page. This catches a corrupted or tampered file before it costs you a failed install.
# Linux / macOS
sha256sum proxmox-ve_9.2-1.isoREM Windows (PowerShell or cmd)
certutil -hashfile proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso SHA256Compare the output to the published hash. If it doesn't match exactly, download again.
Step 2 – Write the ISO to a USB stick
You need a USB drive of 4 GB or larger. Writing the image wipes it completely.
The tool depends on your OS:
- Any OS: balenaEtcher is the easiest — pick the ISO, pick the drive, flash.
- Windows: Rufus works, but you must select DD Image mode when it prompts, not ISO mode. In ISO mode the stick won't boot the Proxmox installer.
- Linux / macOS: plain
dddoes the job.
Do not use UNetbootin — it doesn't produce a working Proxmox stick.
The dd command on Linux, after checking your device name with lsblk:
dd if=proxmox-ve_9.2-1.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M status=progress conv=fdatasyncGet the target device right.
ddoverwrites whatever you point it at without asking, and one wrong letter wipes the wrong disk./dev/sdXis the whole USB device (e.g./dev/sdb), not a partition like/dev/sdb1. I've toasted the contents of the wrong drive exactly once. You only need to do it once to learn.
Step 3 – Boot the installer and choose your disk
Plug the stick into the target machine, open the boot menu (usually F11, F12, or Esc during startup), and select the USB drive. At the Proxmox boot screen pick Install Proxmox VE (Graphical).
Accept the license, then the installer asks for the target disk and filesystem. This is the one screen worth slowing down on. Click Options next to the disk selector to choose the filesystem:
- ext4 (on LVM) — the simple default. One disk, low RAM overhead, nothing to think about. Fine for a first install or a single-drive box.
- ZFS — software RAID across multiple disks, snapshots, checksums against bit rot, and replication between cluster nodes. It's the better choice with several disks, but it wants more RAM (budget roughly 1 GB per TB of storage on top of your base).
If you're on a single disk and unsure, take ext4. You can always rebuild later once you know what you want.
Step 4 – Set network, password, and finish
Next you set your country, timezone, and keyboard, then a root password and an admin email. Use a real password — this account has full control of the host.
The last screen is the network config: hostname (FQDN), IP address, gateway, and DNS. Give the host a static IP you'll remember, because that's the address you'll type to reach the web interface. A typo here is the most common reason the web UI is unreachable afterwards.
Confirm the summary, let it install, and remove the USB stick when it reboots. Once it's back up, open a browser on another machine and go to:
https://your-server-ip:8006You'll get a certificate warning because Proxmox uses a self-signed cert — that's expected, click through it. Log in with username root, the realm Linux PAM standard authentication, and the password you set.
First login: fix the repository before anything else
The moment you log in you'll see a "No valid subscription" popup. It's harmless — a nag for the paid enterprise support tier. Click OK and move on. You do not need a subscription to run Proxmox.
But there's a real problem hiding behind it. A fresh install has the enterprise repository enabled, and that repo requires a paid key. Run an update and it fails:
apt updateErr:5 https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pve trixie InRelease
401 Unauthorized
E: Failed to fetch https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pve/dists/trixie/InRelease 401 UnauthorizedThe fix is to switch to the free no-subscription repository. Here's the part that catches everyone who's followed an older tutorial: Proxmox VE 9 moved to the modern deb822 .sources format. The old one-line sources.list entries from version 8 don't apply anymore. The repo files now live as multi-line stanzas under /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.
Open a shell — either via SSH, or the Node → Shell button in the web UI — and disable the two enterprise repos by appending an Enabled: false line to each:
echo 'Enabled: false' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.sources
echo 'Enabled: false' >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ceph.sources(The ceph.sources file also points at the enterprise server and throws its own 401. Disabling it stops that error. You can leave it off unless you're building a Ceph cluster.)
Now create a no-subscription source file. Open a new file:
nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.sourcesPaste in this stanza exactly:
Types: deb
URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve
Suites: trixie
Components: pve-no-subscription
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpgSave (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X), then update and pull in the latest packages:
apt update && apt full-upgrade -yReboot if the kernel was updated, then confirm your version:
pveversionpve-manager/9.2.x/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (running kernel: 6.14.x-x-pve)If that reads pve-manager/9.2.x, your base is done. Skip the tutorials that tell you to edit a JavaScript file to kill the subscription popup — it's a cosmetic notice, and hand-editing system files to remove it just breaks on the next update.
How do I create my first VM in Proxmox?
With the host updated, let's build a VM. First you need an OS image on the host.
In the tree on the left, expand your node and click local (the storage), then ISO Images → Upload to push an ISO from your laptop, or Download from URL to pull one straight to the host — the second option is faster for a big Linux ISO.
Then click the blue Create VM button (top right) and step through the tabs:
- General: give the VM a name. The VMID auto-fills.
- OS: select the ISO you just uploaded, and set the guest OS type.
- System: defaults are fine for a first Linux VM. Tick Qemu Agent if you'll install the guest agent later.
- Disks: set a size (32 GB is plenty for a test) on
local-lvm. - CPU: start with 2 cores. Set the type to host for the best performance.
- Memory: 2048 MB is a sane starting point for a light Linux guest.
- Network: leave the bridge as
vmbr0and the model as VirtIO (paravirtualized).
Confirm, then select the new VM in the tree, hit Start, and open Console. You'll see it boot into your ISO's installer, exactly as if you'd put a disc in a physical machine. That's your first Proxmox VM.
ext4 or ZFS: which should you choose?
Since the filesystem choice at install time is the one decision that's annoying to reverse, here's the quick comparison:
| Factor | ext4 (LVM) | ZFS |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Single disk, first install, low-RAM boxes | Multiple disks, data integrity, clusters |
| RAM overhead | Minimal | High (~1 GB per TB of storage) |
| Software RAID | No | Yes, built in |
| Snapshots & checksums | Limited | Yes |
| Hardware RAID controller | Compatible | Not compatible — use an HBA instead |
One trap worth repeating: ZFS and hardware RAID don't mix. If your server has a RAID controller, flash it to IT/HBA mode or use ext4. Running ZFS on top of a hardware RAID array can corrupt data silently.
Common Proxmox install problems
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
apt update returns 401 Unauthorized |
Enterprise repo active without a subscription | Switch to the no-subscription repo (see above) |
| VM won't start, "KVM not supported" | VT-x / AMD-V disabled in BIOS | Enable virtualization in BIOS/UEFI |
| Web UI unreachable at :8006 | Wrong IP/gateway entered, or a firewall blocks port 8006 | Recheck the network config; confirm the host's IP |
| USB stick won't boot | Rufus used in ISO mode instead of DD mode | Rewrite the ISO in DD Image mode |
| Duplicate repo warnings on update | An old .list file left over alongside the new .sources |
Remove the leftover .list file |
Frequently asked questions
Is Proxmox VE free?
Yes. The full feature set is free and open source under the AGPLv3. The paid subscription buys you access to the enterprise (more heavily tested) repository and official support — it doesn't unlock features. For a homelab, the no-subscription repo is exactly what you want.
Can I install Proxmox on a mini PC?
Yes, and it's one of the most popular ways to run it. Any 64-bit mini PC with VT-x/AMD-V enabled works. Just watch the RAM ceiling — 16 GB on many N100 boxes limits you to a handful of VMs, since each VM needs its own dedicated memory.
Do I need a monitor and keyboard on the server?
Only for the install itself. Once Proxmox is running, you manage everything remotely through the web interface at port 8006 or over SSH. Many people run their host completely headless after setup.
Can I run Proxmox inside VirtualBox or VMware to try it?
Yes, as long as the host supports nested virtualization and you enable it. It's a fine way to click around the interface, but performance won't reflect a real bare-metal install, and nested VMs can be flaky.
Why does it say "No valid subscription" every time I log in?
That popup only means you're on the free tier. It has no effect on functionality. Dismiss it and carry on.
What's the default web interface address and port?
It's https://your-server-ip:8006 over HTTPS. The self-signed certificate warning on first visit is normal.
Where to go next
You now have a working hypervisor, the free repo wired up correctly, and a first VM running. The install really is the easy part — the interesting work is storage layout, backups, and network design. Before you put anything you care about on it, set up backups (the built-in scheduler plus Proxmox Backup Server is the standard combo) and take a snapshot before every risky change. Break things in a throwaway VM first; that's the whole point of having one.