Proxmox VE 9 USB Installation

Proxmox VE 9 ISO Download

Download link: https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso/proxmox-ve-9-0-iso-installer

USB ISO Writing

Steps to create a Proxmox VE (PVE) installation USB using the dd command, applicable for Linux, macOS, or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) environments:

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✅ Preparation

1. Download PVE ISO Image
   Obtain the latest ISO file from the official website:
   https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads

2. Insert USB Drive (≥8GB)
   Ensure the USB drive contains no important data, as it will be completely erased.

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✅ Create Bootable USB with dd (Linux/macOS)

1. Identify USB Device Name
   Open a terminal and run:

   lsblk

   Or on macOS:

   diskutil list

   Locate your USB drive, e.g., /dev/sdX (Linux) or /dev/disk2 (macOS). Be cautious not to select the wrong device, as it may erase your system disk!

2. Unmount USB Drive (Important)
   Linux:

   sudo umount /dev/sdX*

   macOS:

   diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX

3. Write ISO to USB

   sudo dd if=./proxmox-ve_9.x-x.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

   For macOS, use:

   sudo dd if=./proxmox-ve_9.x-x.iso of=/dev/rdiskX bs=1m

   • if= specifies the ISO file path
   • of= specifies the USB device path
   • bs=4M speeds up the writing process
   • After completion, run:

     sync

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✅ Start Installation

1. Insert the prepared USB into the target machine.
2. Boot and press F12 / ESC / DEL to enter BIOS or boot menu.
3. Select the USB drive to boot.
4. Enter the Install Proxmox VE interface and follow the prompts to complete the installation.

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⚠️ Notes

• Verify Device Path: The dd command executes without confirmation; selecting the wrong device will result in data loss.
• Use Entire Device: Use /dev/sdX (not /dev/sdX1) for the USB device.
• Windows users can use Rufus in DD mode.

Alternatively, you can use GUI tools like Balena Etcher or Rufus (Windows) to achieve the same result as dd.

Replace Debian Source

Since Proxmox VE is based on Debian, you can switch to Aliyun's mirror for faster downloads. Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following:

deb http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie main non-free contrib
deb-src http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie main non-free contrib
deb http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian-security/ trixie-security main
deb-src http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian-security/ trixie-security main
deb http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie-updates main non-free contrib
deb-src http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie-updates main non-free contrib
deb http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie-backports main non-free contrib
deb-src http://mirrors.aliyun.com/debian/ trixie-backports main non-free contrib

Then run:

apt-get update

Enable IPv6

Edit /etc/sysctl.conf and add the following:

net.ipv6.conf.all.accept_ra=2
net.ipv6.conf.default.accept_ra=2
net.ipv6.conf.vmbr0.accept_ra=2
net.ipv6.conf.all.autoconf=2
net.ipv6.conf.default.autoconf=2
net.ipv6.conf.vmbr0.autoconf=2

Then execute:

sysctl -p; systemctl restart networking

Verify IPv6 configuration with:

ip a

Example output:

10: vmbr0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 00:f0:d2:d0:9a:b3 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 192.168.3.2/24 scope global vmbr0
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 240e:389:eb1:92e0:2f0:d2ff:fed0:9ab3/64 scope global dynamic mngtmpaddr proto kernel_ra 
       valid_lft 237976sec preferred_lft 151576sec
    inet6 fe80::2f1:d2ff:fed0:9ab3/64 scope link proto kernel_ll 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

If the inet6 address starts with 240e, a public IPv6 address has been successfully obtained.