Proxmox Installation Guide: How to Turn Your Old PC into a Powerful Server?

When it comes to setting up a HomeLab or a personal server, Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) is undoubtedly one of the most popular and powerful options available today[cite: 768]. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk through how to install Proxmox on a physical PC or a mini PC completely from scratch[cite: 769]. Instead of letting an old laptop, desktop, or mini PC gather dust, you can follow this guide to transform it into a highly capable server[cite: 770].

Hardware Requirements

You do not need a high-end enterprise server to get started with Proxmox. However, to ensure smooth performance, here are the baseline recommendations:

• PC or Server: Any old desktop or a power-efficient mini PC. (The setup used in the video features a Core i5 mini PC configured with 24GB RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a low 35W power consumption rate, making it perfect for 24/7 continuous operation).
• USB Flash Drive: A minimum of 8GB or higher storage space.
• Network Connection: A direct internet connection to your server PC via a LAN (ethernet) cable is mandatory.

Step 1: Download Proxmox ISO and Rufus

Before jumping into the installation, we need to gather our tools by downloading two essential files[cite: 776]:

1. Proxmox VE ISO: Head over to the official proxmox.com website, navigate to the Downloads section, and get the latest installer ISO image (e.g., PVE 9.1).
2. Rufus: To write this ISO file onto our USB drive and make it bootable, download the latest version of Rufus from rufus.ie.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

1. Plug your USB drive into your current computer and launch the Rufus software.
2. Rufus should instantly detect your connected flash drive at the top under the ‘Device’ dropdown.
3. Click on the ‘Select’ button and locate the downloaded Proxmox ISO file on your computer.
4. Keep the default settings as they are and click the Start button at the bottom.
5. Flashing takes about 4–5 minutes depending on your drive’s speed. Once the status bar turns completely green and shows ‘Ready‘, your bootable flash drive is officially created.

Step 3: BIOS & Boot Menu Settings

1. SAFELY eject the bootable USB drive, plug it into your target server machine, and power the machine on.
2. As soon as it starts powering up, continuously tap your motherboard’s designated Boot Key (common keys include F12, F9, F2, or Esc depending on the manufacturer).
3. When the boot menu appears on your monitor, select your USB flash drive from the list and hit Enter.

Step 4: Proxmox OS Installation Process

Once your system boots from the USB drive, the graphical installation screen will pop up. Follow these exact configurations:

• Graphical Installation: Use your keyboard’s arrow keys to highlight “Install Proxmox VE (Graphical)” and hit Enter.
• EULA Agreement: Review the End User License Agreement screen and click ‘I Agree’ at the bottom right corner to continue.
• Target Hard Disk: Choose the target hard drive or SSD where you want Proxmox installed from the target disk dropdown menu, then click Next. (Make sure to pick the correct drive if you have multiple disks connected).
• Country & Timezone: Type in your Country (e.g., Bangladesh) and set the Timezone to Asia/Dhaka before hitting Next. (If your LAN line is active, it may auto-populate this context).
• Password & Email: Type in a strong, memorable Root Password which you will use to log into your server later. Provide a valid email address underneath and select Next.
• Network Configuration: This is arguably the most critical portion of the screen:
  • Hostname: Provide a local domain style name (e.g., proxmox.local).
  • IP Address: If your ethernet cable is active, your local router will automatically assign a network IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.155). You can choose to leave it as is or change it manually to set up a specific Static IP of your choice.
• Install: The final window shows a full summary of your configuration. Check if all information is accurate, then click the Install button. The automated installation will wrap up within 10–15 minutes.

Step 5: Logging into the Proxmox Web GUI

Once the progress bar reaches 100%, your server machine will perform a full system reboot. After booting up, a black terminal screen will print a web access IP address URL (e.g., https://192.168.1.155:8006).

1. You no longer need to interact with your physical server machine directly. Go to another computer connected to that exact same local network, open a web browser, and type that URL exactly as printed (make sure to include the https prefix and the 8006 port number).
2. Your browser will trigger a security warning page saying the SSL certificate is invalid. This is completely normal because Proxmox utilizes a self-signed certificate out of the box. Simply click Advanced and select Proceed.
3. On the Proxmox VE login panel, enter the default credentials:
   • Username: root
   • Password: The unique root password you created back in Step 4.
4. Hit the login button, and you will immediately step right into your clean, modern Proxmox server management dashboard!

Conclusion

Congratulations! Your regular physical machine is now officially operating as a fully functional, enterprise-grade Proxmox virtualization platform. In the upcoming segments of this series, we will focus on setting up storage pools, network bridges, virtual machines (VMs), and super-lightweight Linux Containers (LXC).

To watch the entire installation process performed visually, check out the full Bengali tutorial video below: