# How do I install Proxmox on a dedicated server? > How to install Proxmox on a dedicated server: pick the Proxmox VE image or add it to Debian 13, then port 8006, ZFS and NAT. No KYC, paid in crypto. - URL: https://ironatoll.com/install-proxmox-on-dedicated-server/ - Last updated: 2026-11-02 - Publisher: Ironatoll (https://ironatoll.com) Two ways to get Proxmox VE onto a rented Ironatoll server, the first hour after login, and the choices that matter on one machine with one IPv4 address: RAID, guest networking and backups. **Quick answer — How do I install Proxmox on a dedicated server?** To install Proxmox on a dedicated server at **Ironatoll**, pick Proxmox VE as the system at checkout and the team installs it. Or order Debian 13 and add Proxmox VE 9 from the official repository yourself. Then log in on port 8006, choose ZFS or the default mirror, and put guests behind NAT on the single IPv4. From $63.68 per 30 days, crypto only, no KYC. ## Proxmox on an Ironatoll server: what you start with | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | Images at checkout | Debian 13, Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, AlmaLinux 10, Rocky Linux 10 and Proxmox VE 9 | | Access | Root access over SSH: add your own public key at checkout and password login stays off, or leave it empty and get a temporary root password with your server, to change at first login | | Disks | On plans with two disks, the system is installed on software RAID 1 (mirrored) unless you ask support for RAID 0 or separate disks before the server is ready | | Network | Every server has one dedicated IPv4 address and an IPv6 /64. The port speed and the monthly traffic are listed with each plan; traffic counts outgoing data per 30-day period, and over the quota there is never an automatic extra charge | | Console | No remote console (IPMI or KVM over IP) is included: reboots and reinstalls are requested from your dashboard and done by the team | | Backups | There are no automatic backups, so every file you need to keep should also live somewhere you control | | Current Proxmox VE release | 9.2, released 21 May 2026, based on Debian 13 "Trixie" with a 7.0 kernel (Proxmox roadmap) | | Price | Atoll 16 $63.68, Atoll 32 $72.15, Atoll 64 $72.62, Atoll 128 $205.27, Atoll 256 $406.37 per 30 days | ## Should I pick the Proxmox image or install Proxmox on Debian myself? **Pick the Proxmox VE image unless you need your own partition layout.** Proxmox's wiki says a supported install uses its bare-metal ISO installer, and that installing on Debian makes sense for a custom partition layout. With no remote console, you cannot run that ISO installer yourself, so the image is the closest route. The Debian route gives full control, but every step runs over SSH, including a reboot into a new kernel. ### Two ways to get Proxmox VE | | Proxmox VE image | Debian 13 + Proxmox VE yourself | | --- | --- | --- | | Who installs it | The team, before delivery | You, over SSH | | Disk layout | As set before delivery (RAID 1 by default on two disks) | Whatever Debian was installed with | | Risk | Low | A wrong network or kernel step cuts access | | Best for | Most users | A custom partition layout | ## How do I install Proxmox VE 9 on Debian 13, step by step? These steps follow the official Proxmox wiki page "Install Proxmox VE on Debian 13 Trixie", read on 30 October 2026. Keep a second SSH session open throughout. 1. **Order Debian 13 with your SSH key** — Choose the Debian 13 image at checkout and paste your SSH public key. Proxmox VE 9 is built on Debian 13 "Trixie". 2. **Make the hostname resolve to the public IP** — Edit /etc/hosts so the hostname points to the server's public IPv4, not 127.0.1.1. hostname --ip-address must print that address. 3. **Add the Proxmox repository and key** — Create the repository file and download the archive keyring shown below. Compare its SHA-256 sum with the wiki, then run apt update && apt full-upgrade. 4. **Install the Proxmox kernel and reboot** — Run apt install proxmox-default-kernel, then systemctl reboot. First check that /etc/network/interfaces still holds your static address. 5. **Install the Proxmox VE packages** — Run apt install proxmox-ve postfix open-iscsi chrony. At the Postfix prompt, choose "local only": outgoing port 25 is closed on our servers. 6. **Remove the Debian kernel and os-prober** — Run apt remove linux-image-amd64 'linux-image-6.12*', then update-grub and apt remove os-prober. The wiki warns that Debian's kernel can break upgrades. 7. **Set a root password for the web interface** — Run passwd. The web interface logs root in through the PAM realm with a password. SSH stays key-only. 8. **Open the web interface** — Browse to https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8006, pick the PAM realm and log in as root. Then build the guest network before your first VM. *Step 3: repository and key (from the Proxmox wiki)* ```bash cat > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-install-repo.sources << EOL Types: deb URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve Suites: trixie Components: pve-no-subscription Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg EOL wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-archive-keyring-trixie.gpg \ -O /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg sha256sum /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg # compare with the checksum printed on the wiki page apt update && apt full-upgrade ``` ## How do I secure the web interface on port 8006? **Keep port 8006 closed to the internet and reach it through an SSH tunnel.** Proxmox's firewall documentation says the firewall is completely disabled by default. It lists the ports Proxmox uses: 8006 for the web interface, 5900 to 5999 for the VNC web console, 3128 for the SPICE proxy and 22 for SSH. - **Tunnel the interface.** Run `ssh -L 8006:127.0.0.1:8006 root@YOUR_SERVER_IP`, then open `https://127.0.0.1:8006` on your own computer. - **Keep SSH key-only.** Setting a root password for the web interface does not turn on SSH password login. Root access over SSH: add your own public key at checkout and password login stays off, or leave it empty and get a temporary root password with your server, to change at first login. - **Turn on the Proxmox firewall at datacenter level** once SSH and your tunnel are allowed. ## ZFS or mdadm RAID: which should I use for Proxmox? **Proxmox's wiki names ZFS as the only software RAID it supports; mdraid is listed as unsupported.** The reason given: mdraid has no checks for bit rot, so corruption can go unnoticed. The wiki adds that Proxmox support and its forum will not help with mdraid issues. On Ironatoll, the disk layout is fixed before delivery. On plans with two disks, the system is installed on software RAID 1 (mirrored) unless you ask support for RAID 0 or separate disks before the server is ready. Ask support which RAID technology your image uses before you store data on it. Your practical choices: - **Keep the default mirror.** One dead disk does not take the server down. - **Ask for separate disks, then use ZFS on the second one.** You get checksums and snapshots for guest disks, but no redundancy, so backups matter more. - **Avoid ZFS on a hardware RAID controller.** The wiki warns that ZFS and hardware RAID with its own cache do not mix. ZFS needs memory. The wiki says to start with at least 8 GB. By default its cache (ARC) takes 10% of RAM, capped at 16 GiB. ## How do I give virtual machines internet access with one IPv4 address? **Put guests on a private bridge and NAT them behind the host's IPv4: Proxmox calls this masquerading.** Every server has one dedicated IPv4 address and an IPv6 /64. The port speed and the monthly traffic are listed with each plan; traffic counts outgoing data per 30-day period, and over the quota there is never an automatic extra charge. Extra IPv4 addresses are not part of our offer, so plan every guest around NAT and IPv6. Do not bridge guests straight onto the public interface. Proxmox's network guide explains that hosting providers often cut networking when several MAC addresses appear on one port. NAT and routed setups keep a single MAC address. - **IPv4: NAT plus port forwards.** Guests get private addresses such as `10.10.10.2`. Each public service gets a forwarded port on the host. - **IPv6: a public address per guest.** Route addresses from your /64 to the private bridge with IPv6 forwarding on. If the /64 is on-link rather than routed to your server, the host must also answer neighbour discovery for guests (proxy NDP). Support can tell you which applies. */etc/network/interfaces: private bridge vmbr1 with NAT and one port forward* ```bash # -o / -i must name the interface that holds your public IPv4 # (vmbr0 if the host address sits on a bridge, else e.g. eno1) auto vmbr1 iface vmbr1 inet static address 10.10.10.1/24 bridge-ports none bridge-stp off bridge-fd 0 post-up echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward post-up iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s '10.10.10.0/24' -o vmbr0 -j MASQUERADE post-down iptables -t nat -D POSTROUTING -s '10.10.10.0/24' -o vmbr0 -j MASQUERADE # public port 2222 -> SSH of guest 10.10.10.2 post-up iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i vmbr0 -p tcp --dport 2222 -j DNAT --to 10.10.10.2:22 post-down iptables -t nat -D PREROUTING -i vmbr0 -p tcp --dport 2222 -j DNAT --to 10.10.10.2:22 ``` Apply it with `ifreload -a` while a second SSH session stays open. If the file breaks networking, nobody can reach the server, and with no console the fix is a reinstall: Reboot, reinstall and cancel are requested from your dashboard and carried out by the team; a reinstall erases the disks. ## How do I back up Proxmox virtual machines? **Back up to a different machine, because Ironatoll keeps no copy for you.** There are no automatic backups, so every file you need to keep should also live somewhere you control. Proxmox has backups built in: start them from the web interface or with `vzdump`, and schedule backup jobs. **stop** mode gives the most consistent backup with a short downtime. **snapshot** mode gives the least downtime, with a small risk of inconsistency. The target can be file storage or a Proxmox Backup Server, which stores de-duplicated chunks. A second, smaller server running Proxmox Backup Server keeps copies off the main machine. ## Which Ironatoll plan should I choose for Proxmox? Size the plan by RAM: guests, the host and the ZFS cache all share it. Proxmox recommends 2 GB for the system and its services, plus the memory you give guests. **According to Ironatoll's check of 30 October 2026, a dedicated server comparable to Atoll 128 cost a median $470.70 at 10 hosts that accept crypto without ID; Ironatoll charges $205.27.** Prices across the market are in our [dedicated server price index](https://ironatoll.com/dedicated-server-price-per-month/ "How much a dedicated server costs per month, October 2026"), and every plan is on [how much an Ironatoll dedicated server costs](https://ironatoll.com/pricing/ "Ironatoll plans and prices per 30 days"). ### Ironatoll plans for a Proxmox host | Plan | CPU | Cores | RAM | Disks | Price per 30 days | Suits | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Atoll 16 | Intel Xeon E-2236 | 6 cores / 12 threads | 16 GB | 2 × 480 GB SSD | $63.68 | A lab, a few containers | | Atoll 32 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600 | 6 cores / 12 threads | 32 GB | 2 × 512 GB NVMe | $72.15 | Several small Linux VMs | | Atoll 64 | Intel Xeon E-2288G | 8 cores / 16 threads | 64 GB | 2 × 960 GB NVMe | $72.62 | ZFS plus busy VMs | | Atoll 128 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X | 16 cores / 32 threads | 128 GB | 2 × 1.92 TB NVMe | $205.27 | Many VMs, large guests | | Atoll 256 | AMD EPYC 7443P | 24 cores / 48 threads | 256 GB | 2 × 3.84 TB NVMe | $406.37 | Dense hosting, memory-heavy guests | ## Proxmox on a dedicated server: FAQ ### Can I install Proxmox on a dedicated server running Ubuntu? Proxmox documents installation on Debian, not Ubuntu. Order the Debian 13 image, or the Proxmox VE image, instead of converting an Ubuntu system. ### Do I need a Proxmox subscription? No. The install uses the free pve-no-subscription repository. A subscription adds the enterprise repository and support; without one, disable the enterprise repository so `apt update` stays clean. ### Can I run Windows virtual machines on Proxmox here? Ironatoll installs and licenses Linux only. Inside Proxmox, guests are your choice: you bring the installation ISO and any licence the guest system needs. ### What happens if I lock myself out? There is no console to fix it from. No remote console (IPMI or KVM over IP) is included: reboots and reinstalls are requested from your dashboard and done by the team. A reinstall erases the disks, so test network changes with a second session open. Our page on [what IPMI is and why it matters](https://ironatoll.com/what-is-ipmi/ "IPMI and KVM over IP on a dedicated server") explains the trade-off. ### Can I run game servers or an LLM in a Proxmox VM? Yes. Forward the game's ports from the host, as in the NAT example. See [hosting game servers on a rented dedicated server](https://ironatoll.com/dedicated-server-for-game-servers/ "Which game servers run on Linux, with ports and CPU advice") and [running an LLM without a GPU](https://ironatoll.com/run-llm-on-dedicated-server/ "CPU-only LLMs with llama.cpp and Ollama"). **Get a dedicated server for Proxmox** Pick Proxmox VE or Debian at checkout. No KYC, paid in crypto, prepared by hand after your payment. [Order Atoll 64](https://ironatoll.com/app/checkout/?plan=atoll-64&lang=en) · [Compare plans](https://ironatoll.com/pricing/ "How much does an Ironatoll dedicated server cost?") ## Sources 1. [Install Proxmox VE on Debian 13 Trixie](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Install_Proxmox_VE_on_Debian_13_Trixie) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 2. [Roadmap (Proxmox VE 9.2 release, 21 May 2026)](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Roadmap) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 3. [System Requirements](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/System_Requirements) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 4. [Software RAID (mdraid unsupported, ZFS supported)](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Software_RAID) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 5. [ZFS on Linux (memory, ARC limit, hardware RAID)](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/ZFS_on_Linux) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 6. [Network Configuration (routed setup, masquerading)](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Network_Configuration) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 7. [Firewall (ports used by Proxmox VE)](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Firewall) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) 8. [Backup and Restore](https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Backup_and_Restore) — Proxmox VE wiki (read 2026-10-30) --- Ironatoll: Ironatoll rents offshore dedicated servers (bare metal) in Amsterdam, Reykjavik, Zurich and Bucharest, paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, no selfie, no documents. Each server is a whole physical machine for one customer, with root access over SSH. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama that ignores DMCA notices, answers only to Panamanian law, allows Tor exit relays and keeps no logs. On the 30-day term, each plan is priced at least 25% under a named comparable dedicated server from 17 no-KYC crypto hosts, read on 30 October 2026.