Installing Proxmox on a Raspberry Pi to run Virtual Machines on it

Source

• Type: webpage
• Origin: https://itsfoss.com/install-proxmox-raspberry-pi/
• Imported: 2026-06-11
• Images: 9 downloaded to ./assets/itsfoss-install-proxmox-raspberry-pi/ (hero, repo setup, install, Postfix, SSL warning, login, subscription notice, dashboard)

Content

Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) is an open-source platform for managing virtual machines and containers through a web interface. Proxmox is not officially supported on Raspberry Pi, but third-party ARM repositories make experimental installs possible.

This guide targets lightweight experimentation, not heavy VM workloads. A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with ample RAM is recommended.

Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 (8 GB RAM recommended)
• MicroSD card (Class 10 or better)
• 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS Lite (Bookworm)
• Power supply and Ethernet cable (wired preferred)

Step 1: Start with a clean slate

Use a fresh Raspberry Pi OS Lite 64-bit (Bookworm) install. Older or cluttered systems can cause package dependency errors during install.

Flash the image with Raspberry Pi Imager.

Step 2: Update and upgrade

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install curl if missing:

sudo apt install curl

Step 3: Set a static IP address

Proxmox needs a stable IP. Prefer a DHCP reservation on your router.

Alternatively, edit /etc/dhcpcd.conf:

sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

Add:

interface [INTERFACE]
static ip_address=[STATIC IP ADDRESS YOU WANT]/24
static routers=[ROUTER IP]
static domain_name_servers=[DNS IP]

Reboot and verify:

sudo reboot now
hostname -I

Step 4: Modify /etc/hosts

Map the hostname to the Pi’s static IP:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Change:

127.0.1.1    raspberrypi

To (example):

192.168.1.9    raspberrypi

Step 5: Set the root password

Proxmox web login uses root:

sudo passwd root

Step 6: Add the GPG key

Third-party ARM packages are served from the apqa.cn mirror:

curl -L https://mirrors.apqa.cn/proxmox/debian/pveport.gpg | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/pveport.gpg >/dev/null

Step 7: Add the repository

echo "deb [arch=arm64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/pveport.gpg] https://mirrors.apqa.cn/proxmox/debian/pve bookworm port" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pveport.list

Step 8: Update the package list

sudo apt update

Step 9: Install Proxmox

sudo apt install proxmox-ve postfix open-iscsi ifupdown2 pve-edk2-firmware-aarch64

Package roles:

• proxmox-ve — core Proxmox server and web UI
• postfix — local mail for alerts (choose Local only if unsure)
• open-iscsi — network storage support
• ifupdown2 — network interface management for bridges
• pve-edk2-firmware-aarch64 — ARM64 VM firmware

During Postfix setup:

Use the default system mail name if unsure:

Step 10: Access the Proxmox web interface

Open:

https://<IPADDRESS>:8006

Expect a self-signed certificate warning:

Log in as root with the password set in Step 5:

Dismiss the invalid subscription notice (free/community use):

The dashboard shows CPU, memory, and storage stats. Use Create VM to start a new virtual machine:

Key Takeaways

• Proxmox on Pi is experimental — use a clean 64-bit Bookworm Lite image.
• Set a static IP and align /etc/hosts with that address before install.
• This guide uses the apqa.cn pveport repository and GPG key (pveport.gpg).
• Web UI: https://<pi-ip>:8006 as user root; ignore the subscription warning on first login.
• Keep VM workloads light; Pi 4/5 with 8 GB RAM is the practical hardware target.