Proxmox VE on a Dedicated Server

What we are configuring and why

We will be configuring Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) — a powerful, open-source platform for server virtualization, combining KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) for full-fledged virtual machines and LXC (Linux Containers) for lightweight containers. Proxmox VE allows consolidating multiple servers onto a single physical machine, efficiently utilizing hardware resources and significantly simplifying infrastructure management.

Ultimately, the reader will get a fully operational virtualization platform on their own dedicated server. This means full control over resources, security, and configuration, the ability to run various operating systems (Linux, Windows, BSD) and applications in isolated environments, as well as flexibility in scaling and management.

Why is this needed? Proxmox VE is ideal for developers who need to quickly deploy test environments or GitLab instances; for SaaS solo founders wishing to host Mattermost or other team services; for gamers who want to set up a Minecraft server with the ability to create multiple worlds or game servers; for crypto enthusiasts managing multiple Bitcoin/Ethereum nodes; and for those who value privacy by setting up their own VPN servers (e.g., WireGuard). This is a way to get a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructure without being tied to a specific cloud provider.

There are alternatives, such as managed cloud services (AWS EC2, Google Compute Engine, Azure Virtual Machines) or other virtualization platforms (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, oVirt). Cloud services are convenient but often more expensive in the long run, especially under high loads or with specific hardware requirements, and they do not provide full control over the "hardware". Other platforms can be proprietary or have a steeper learning curve. Proxmox VE, however, offers a balance between functionality, openness, and ease of management, making a self-hosted solution on a dedicated server an attractive choice for many tasks.

What VPS configuration is needed for this task

Proxmox VE is primarily intended for installation on dedicated servers, as it requires direct access to hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x/AMD-V) and network interfaces. Installing Proxmox VE on a regular VPS (which is itself a virtual machine) is only possible if the provider supports nested virtualization, which is not always available and can significantly reduce performance. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use a dedicated server for Proxmox VE.

Minimum requirements for Proxmox VE 9.x (as of 2026):

• CPU: 64-bit processor (Intel EMT64 or AMD64) with hardware virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). Minimum 2 cores.
• RAM: 2 GB for the Proxmox VE system itself, plus additional memory for each virtual machine and container. 8 GB or more is recommended.
• Disk: SSD or NVMe drive with a capacity of 32 GB or more for Proxmox VE installation and core system files. Virtual machines will require significantly more space (minimum 250 GB, but 1-2 TB is better).
• Network: One Gigabit network interface. For production environments or high network loads, 2x1 Gbit/s or 10 Gbit/s is recommended.

Specific plan for the task (for Proxmox VE with multiple VMs):

For comfortable operation of Proxmox VE with 2-4 virtual machines (e.g., GitLab, Mattermost, Minecraft server), each consuming 2-4 GB RAM and 1-2 CPU cores, a more powerful dedicated server will be required:

• CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1505M v5 (4 cores/8 threads) or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (8 cores/16 threads).
• RAM: 32 GB DDR4 ECC RAM.
• Disk: 2x 1 TB NVMe SSD in RAID1 for performance and fault tolerance, or 2x 2 TB HDD in RAID1 for large data volumes with an additional SSD for the Proxmox system and frequently used VMs.
• Network: 1 Gbit/s port with unlimited traffic.

To rent a suitable dedicated server with such characteristics, you can consider offers from providers specializing in dedicated servers. Make sure that the selected server provides full root access and the ability to install your own OS or a Debian template.

When a dedicated server is needed, not a VPS

A dedicated server is necessary for Proxmox VE in most cases, especially if you need full control over hardware, guaranteed performance, the ability to use hardware virtualization without limitations, and specific network configurations (e.g., multiple IP addresses, VLANs). A VPS might be sufficient for very light tasks or testing Proxmox VE, but only if the provider supports nested virtualization.

Location: what it affects

The choice of server location affects the latency (ping) to your users or other services. The closer the server is to your target audience, the faster the response will be. For European users, it is better to choose servers in Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France); for American users, in the USA; for Asian users, in Asia. Location can also affect data storage laws and service costs.

Server Preparation

Before installing Proxmox VE, you need to perform basic setup of a fresh dedicated server with Debian 13 "Trixie" installed (current version as of 2026). It is assumed that you have root access via SSH.

1. System Update and Installation of Basic Utilities

First, let's update the package list and the system itself, and install the necessary utilities.

# Обновление списка пакетов
sudo apt update

# Обновление всех установленных пакетов до последних версий
sudo apt upgrade -y

# Установка базовых утилит, если их нет (nano, curl, wget, htop, net-tools, sudo)
sudo apt install -y nano curl wget htop net-tools sudo

What the command does: Updates system packages and installs essential packages for convenient server operation.

2. Creating a New User with Sudo Privileges

It is not recommended to constantly work as the root user. Let's create a new user and add them to the sudo group.

# Замените 'youruser' на желаемое имя пользователя
sudo adduser youruser

# Добавление пользователя в группу sudo
sudo usermod -aG sudo youruser

What the command does: Creates a new user 'youruser' and grants them privileges to execute commands with sudo.

After this, exit the root session and log in as the new user.

# Выход из текущей SSH-сессии
exit

Now log in as youruser:

ssh youruser@your_server_ip

3. Setting up SSH Keys (Recommended)

To enhance security, it is recommended to use SSH keys instead of passwords. If you don't have them, generate them on your local machine:

# На вашей локальной машине
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

Copy the public key to the server:

# На вашей локальной машине, замените 'youruser' и 'your_server_ip'
ssh-copy-id youruser@your_server_ip

After this, you can disable password authentication (in the file /etc/ssh/sshd_config):

# Откройте файл конфигурации SSH-сервера
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Find and modify the following lines (or add them if they are missing):

# Отключение аутентификации по паролю
PasswordAuthentication no
# Разрешение аутентификации по ключу
PubkeyAuthentication yes
# Отключение входа для root по SSH (рекомендуется)
PermitRootLogin no

What the command does: Disables password login and root user login, allowing only SSH key login for the created user, significantly enhancing security.

Restart the SSH server:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

4. Installing and Configuring Fail2Ban

Fail2Ban protects against brute-force attacks by blocking IP addresses from which numerous failed login attempts originate.

# Установка Fail2Ban
sudo apt install -y fail2ban

What the command does: Installs the Fail2Ban daemon.

Create a local configuration file so that your changes are not overwritten during updates:

sudo cp /etc/fail2ban/jail.conf /etc/fail2ban/jail.local
sudo nano /etc/fail2ban/jail.local

In the jail.local file, find the [sshd] section and ensure it is active (enabled = true):

[sshd]
enabled = true
port = ssh
logpath = %(sshd_log)s
maxretry = 3
bantime = 1h

What the command does: Copies the default configuration and activates SSH protection, blocking IP addresses for 1 hour after 3 failed login attempts.

Restart Fail2Ban:

sudo systemctl enable fail2ban
sudo systemctl restart fail2ban

5. Firewall Configuration (UFW)

UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) is a simple interface for managing iptables. Let's configure it for basic protection.

# Установка UFW
sudo apt install -y ufw

# Разрешить SSH (по умолчанию порт 22, если вы его меняли, укажите новый)
sudo ufw allow ssh

# Разрешить HTTP и HTTPS (для веб-интерфейса Proxmox и будущих ВМ)
sudo ufw allow http
sudo ufw allow https

# Запретить все входящие соединения по умолчанию
sudo ufw default deny incoming

# Разрешить все исходящие соединения по умолчанию
sudo ufw default allow outgoing

# Включить UFW
sudo ufw enable

What the command does: Installs the UFW firewall, allows incoming connections only on SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS ports, denies all other incoming connections, and activates the firewall.

Check UFW status:

sudo ufw status verbose

Now the server is ready for Proxmox VE installation.