• Go to the official Proxmox website: Proxmox Downloads.
• Download the latest Proxmox VE ISO Installer.

• Use dd (Linux/macOS) to create a bootable USB.

Linux/macOS: Run the following command:

dd if=proxmox-ve.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M status=progress

*(Replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device.)*

• Boot from the USB drive.
• Select Install Proxmox VE and follow the installation wizard.
• Configure:
  1. Target Disk: Select the disk for installation.
  2. Network: Set the hostname and IP address.
  3. Administrator Credentials: Create a root password.
• Unordered List ItemComplete the installation and reboot.

After installation, access Proxmox via the web UI: (Login using the root account and the password set during installation.)

Open a browser and navigate to:

https://your-proxmox-ip:8006

• In the Proxmox web UI, navigate to Datacenter > Storage (local) > CT Templates.
• Click Templates, select a template (e.g., debian-12-standard), and Download.

• Go to Datacenter > Node > Create CT.
• Fill in the details:
  1. CT ID: Unique container ID.
  2. Hostname: Container name.
  3. Password: Set a root password.
  4. Template: Select the downloaded template.
  5. Resources: Set CPU, memory, and disk size.
  6. Network: Configure bridge (vmbr0 for LAN access).
• Click Finish to create the container.

By default, Proxmox creates unprivileged containers. Some applications, such as Samba (for extended attributes), require a privileged container. Since all CTs are unprivileged by default, they must be converted manually.

1. Back Up the Container
   • In the Proxmox UI, go to Datacenter > Node > Container (CT_ID) > Backup.
   • Select a storage location and create a backup.

1. Restore the Container as Privileged
   • Go to Datacenter > Node > Storage > Backup.
   • Select the backup file and click Restore.
   • In the restore window, check the option “Privileged Container”.
   • Click Restore to create the privileged container.

Now the container is privileged, allowing Samba to use extended attributes (xattrs) properly.

Note: Running a privileged container reduces security isolation, so use it only when necessary.

• Visit the official Debian website: Debian Downloads.
• Download the Debian 12 netinst ISO or the full installation ISO.
• Upload the ISO to Proxmox:
  1. Go to Datacenter > Node > Storage (local) > ISO Images.
  2. Click Upload and select the downloaded Debian 12 ISO.

• In the Proxmox web UI, go to Datacenter > Node > Create VM.
• Fill in the details:
  1. VM ID: Unique ID for the virtual machine.
  2. Name: Set a descriptive name (e.g., debian12-server).
  3. Click Next.

• In the OS tab, select:
  1. Use CD/DVD Image: Choose the uploaded Debian 12 ISO.
  2. Guest OS Type: Select Linux and Debian 12.
• Click Next.

• System:
  1. Leave defaults unless a specific BIOS type (UEFI/Legacy) is needed.
• Disks:
  1. Select storage and allocate disk size (e.g., 20GB).
  2. Use VirtIO SCSI for better performance.
• CPU:
  1. Assign the number of cores (e.g., 2).
• Memory (RAM):
  1. Allocate RAM (e.g., 2048MB for a basic setup).
• Network:
  1. Use the default bridge vmbr0.
  2. Select VirtIO for best performance.

• Click Finish to create the VM.
• Start the VM and open the Console.
• Follow the Debian installation steps:
  1. Select language, region, and keyboard layout.
  2. Configure network (set hostname, domain).
  3. Partition disk (use Guided – use entire disk for simplicity).
  4. Set root password and create a user.
  5. Select software to install (e.g., SSH server).
  6. Complete installation and reboot.

• Install Proxmox Guest Utilities for better performance:

    apt update && apt install qemu-guest-agent -y
    

• Enable the guest agent in Proxmox:
  1. Go to VM > Options.
  2. Enable QEMU Guest Agent.

Now the Debian 12 VM is fully installed and ready for use in Proxmox.