Create a virtual machine in Proxmox VE: step-by-step guide

This tutorial describes how to create a clean QEMU/KVM VM on your Proxmox VDS. The exact values depend on the resources of your plan and on the guest system.

Where can I download a safe, official ISO image?

Only download the ISO from the official website of Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Microsoft or the relevant vendor. Where possible, verify the SHA256 checksum: a corrupted or incomplete image can cause installation errors that are hard to diagnose.

How do I import the ISO into Proxmox?

The ISO is uploaded from the node’s storage, in the ISO Images section, either as a file upload or from a URL.

1. In the resource tree, select your node, then the storage that accepts ISO images, usually local.
2. Open ISO Images.
3. Click Upload to send a local file, or Download from URL if this feature is available.
4. Wait until the transfer has fully completed before creating the VM.

How do I start the VM creation wizard?

Click Create VM in the top right-hand corner.

General

• Choose a free VM ID.
• Give it a descriptive name, for example web-prod-01.
• Only enable automatic start-up if the VM must restart along with the hypervisor.

OS

• Select the imported ISO.
• Choose the type and version of the guest system.
• For Windows, also have the VirtIO driver ISO ready in case the installer does not detect the disk or the network adapter.

System

• The VirtIO SCSI single controller is a good general choice for recent systems.
• Enable QEMU Guest Agent if you plan to install the agent in the VM. It improves clean shutdowns and the reporting of information.
• If in doubt, keep the default values; only change the BIOS or machine type if the system requires it.

Disks

• Select the target storage.
• Size the disk while keeping free space on the VDS for temporary snapshots, ISOs and backups.
• Use SCSI/VirtIO for good performance with a modern system that has the necessary drivers.

CPU and Memory

• Allocate only the number of vCPUs that is actually useful.
• Always reserve RAM for Proxmox and the other VMs.
• Avoid aggressive over-allocation: it can make every VM unstable during a load peak.

Network

• Select the public bridge configured on the VDS, usually vmbr0.
• Choose the VirtIO (paravirtualized) model for good performance.
• If this VM uses an additional IP, replace the automatically generated MAC with the exact virtual MAC displayed for that IP in the customer area.

An additional IP and its MAC form a pair. Never reuse this pair on two VMs or two network adapters.

How do I install the system in the VM?

You confirm the summary, open the console and run the installation exactly as you would on a physical machine.

1. Check the summary, then click Finish.
2. Select the VM and open Console.
3. Click Start and follow the installer.
4. Install the VirtIO drivers and the QEMU Guest Agent when the system supports them.
5. After installation, place the system disk before the ISO in Options > Boot Order, then eject the ISO.

How do I configure networking in the guest machine?

The IP address is not configured automatically on every system. Note the IP, prefix/netmask, gateway and virtual MAC shown in the service’s Network tab, then configure these values in Linux or Windows. The dedicated networking guide provides the steps and examples.

What should I check once the VM is installed?

Six points to review before considering the machine ready:

• The VM boots without the ISO.
• The time and time zone are correct.
• Security updates are installed.
• The QEMU Guest Agent shows as active if you chose it.
• Only the necessary ports are open.
• A tested backup exists before going into production.