Building a Home Virtual Host Server with Proxmox VE

※ This article is based on notes from around 2024/8/21, so versions and screenshots may be slightly outdated.

Introduction

Let’s build a virtual host server environment — one found in any typical household of someone working in tech.

In the past I ran things on a cheap server + free VMware ESXi, but as everyone knows, ever since that company was acquired by B-whoever, things went completely sideways: the free version disappeared, and the paid version jumped to several times the price, reaching a tier where even serious enterprise proposals become difficult to justify.

If you need a virtual environment, you could run WSL, VirtualBox, or Docker inside a PC, but since I restart my desktop often, running server-like things on the workstation means slow boot times and resets on restart — all very inconvenient.

As I wrote in previous articles, I tried Ubuntu on a Raspberry Pi and CentOS Stream, but ran into problems:

• ARM CPU is special hardware, so many apps aren’t supported
  • Had to rebuild libraries just to run things on ARM
• Installing a native OS makes things inflexible
  • Multiple environments, apps, and libraries get mixed together and become impossible to untangle
• 4GB of RAM isn’t enough. Docker is out of the question (Raspberry Pi 4B spec)
• The Raspberry Pi 4B has a quirky power spec (5.1V/3A USB-C), and long-term use causes the AC adapter to degrade and occasionally drop out

I’d been uneasy about this for a long time, and in August 2024 I decided: I’m building an x64 virtual environment.

Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment)

Released as Proxmox VE 1.0 by Austria’s Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH in 2008, it has been continuously updated through version 8.4 as of January 2025. It’s been popping up more and more as an alternative to VMware ESXi.

It supports full virtualization guest OSes based on Linux KVM, with community-driven Japanese localization progressing steadily. There are quite a few people migrating from ESXi to Proxmox VE.

In practice it’s close to a Debian Linux-based distribution. In addition to Linux KVM (full virtualization), it can also run LXC containers (para-virtualization).

Besides the Web GUI, it also supports scripted operation from the Debian Linux-based CLI console.

So, let’s build a Proxmox VE home virtual host server.

Buying the Hardware

Ordered the HUNSN RS52 on Amazon. Since it ships directly from Shenzhen, China, delivery takes about 3 weeks.

I built a compact router with the HUNSN RS34g in a previous article — this is its successor/higher-end model. The company puts out a huge number of similar appliances and they’re cheap. My home isn’t the kind of over-the-top setup with a 19-inch rack, so this size is just right.

Front	Rear	Bottom opening

I took it apart while I was at it.

Board top	Board top with heatsink contact area on upper cover	Board bottom
The green module in the center is the N100 Spec code: SRMDM Intel I226-V ×4 below Spec code: SRKTV	CPU contacts cover via thermal paste + copper plate (Reapplied thermal paste afterward)	SO-DIMM slot, M.2 NVMe, WIFI (miniPCIe) socket

Silk printing on the bottom of the board reads HSX-ADL-N-4LAN Ver:1.1. A quick search suggests the OEM source is CncTion.

Specs

Additional Parts

What You Need for Installation

• USB flash drive
  • Used for PROXMOX VE installation
  • 16GB or less recommended for compatibility
• HDMI cable
• Monitor
• USB keyboard
• LAN cable

Installer Preparation

Download Proxmox VE Installer on PC

• Download the latest Proxmox VE 8.x ISO Installer from Proxmox Downloads

Create Installation USB with Rufus

• Download Rufus to your PC
• Insert the installation USB drive into the PC
• Run Rufus directly without installing

In Rufus, [select] the Proxmox ISO file and click [Start]

When you select the ISO file, a confirmation dialog appears for writing in DD image mode — click [OK]

A warning about full deletion appears — click [OK]

Wait for writing to complete

Remove the USB drive from the PC when done

Hardware Preparation

• Open the back panel of the HUNSN RS52
• Insert SO-DIMM memory into the slot
• Attach the heatsink to the NVMe SSD first, then secure it in the M.2 slot
• Close the back panel
• Connect monitor to HDMI and USB keyboard
• Do not insert the installer USB yet
• Connect the AC adapter

HUNSN RS52 BIOS Settings

Boot once without the USB to check the BIOS settings

• Enable ACPI
• Main
  • System Time — set to current time
• Restore AC Power Loss: Last State
• Advanced
  • CPU Configuration
    • Intel VT-x: Enabled
  • ACPI Settings
    • Enable ACPI Auto Configuration: Enabled
• Chipset
  • VT-d: Enabled
• Security
  • Secure Boot: Disabled
• Boot
  • FIXED BOOT ORDER Priorities
    • Boot Option #1: USB Device
    • Boot Option #2: NVME
• Save & Exit
  • Save Changes and Reset

Installing PROXMOX VE

• Insert the USB drive with the Proxmox VE installer
• Connect a wired LAN cable to Eth0 on your home network
  • Assumes an environment where DHCP provides internet access
• Boot the HUNSN RS52
• The installer should appear on screen

Installer Steps

No screenshots below, but proceed using common sense:

• Select Install Proxmox VE (Graphical)
• END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (EULA)
  • [AGREE]
• Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE)
  • Verify the Target Harddisk shows the expected SSD model
  • [Options]
    • Select xfs for Filesystem
    • [OK]
  • [NEXT]
• Local and Time Zone selection
  • Country: Japan
  • Time zone: Asia/Tokyo
  • Keyboard layout: Japanese
  • [NEXT]
• Administration Password and Email Address
  • Enter admin password and personal email
• Management Network Configuration
  • Hostname (FQDN): proxmox.home ※ decide on a server hostname
  • IP Address: 192.168.0.100/24 ※ IP address within your home network Gateway: 192.168.0.1 ※ home network router IP
  • DNS Server: 192.168.0.1 ※ home network DNS address
  • [NEXT]
• Summary
  • Review content
  • Check ✔ “Automatically reboot after successful installation”
    • Remove USB drive when rebooting
    • [Install]
• The Creating LVs screen may appear to freeze for 10–20 minutes — just leave it.
  • Reported in the forum as occurring with NVMe installation, but the exact cause is unclear
  • Once the screen starts moving again it finishes in 1–2 minutes
  • If you don’t remove the USB at reboot, the installer will start again

Initial Configuration After Proxmox VE Installation

First Login

Initial configuration is done from a browser https://:8006/

Example: https://192.168.0.100:8006/

On the login screen, change Language to Japanese (if desired) or leave as English

(1) Username: root (2) Password: the password set during installation

A “No subscription” warning appears → [OK]

Switch to Free Repository

Add the no-subscription repository Left menu → select host → node menu [Repositories] → [Add] button

• https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/ceph-quincy
• https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pve

  

  Run package updates using the selected repository
• Node menu [Updates] → [Refresh] button
  • A list of upgradable packages appears
• [Upgrade] button

  

  A console appears — type [Y][Enter]

  

If a kernel update arrives, restart Proxmox VE itself.

Additional Proxmox VE Configuration

Register SSH Public Key

Registering an SSH public key for CLI login is nearly identical to standard Linux.

In the WebUI, select the node name → [>_ Shell] to open a console

Edit with vi

vi ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Paste the SSH public key already generated on the client PC, then save and exit vi

wq!

Exit the console with exit and confirm you can SSH in with the public key from RLogin, PuTTY, Windows Terminal, etc.

Time Synchronization

Change chronyd config from CLI

vi /etc/chrony/chronyd.conf

Change the pool line to ntp.nict.jp or ntp.jst.mfeed.ad.jp and save. The default points to Debian servers, which means queries go overseas.

# pool 2.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst
pool ntp.nict.jp iburst

Restart chronyd after the change

systemctl restart chronyd.service

Temperature Monitoring

Depending on the chassis, you can check the status of various temperature sensors.

Add the package from CLI

apt install xsensors

Check with the sensors command

# sensors
coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Package id 0:  +37.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 0:        +33.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 1:        +33.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 2:        +33.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 3:        +33.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1:        +27.8°C

nvme-pci-0500
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +44.9°C  (low  =  -0.1°C, high = +83.8°C)
                       (crit = +87.8°C)
Sensor 1:     +51.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2:     +44.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

Coming Up Next

Now that the groundwork for installing KVM virtual machines and LXC containers is in place, we’ll go ahead and build actual virtual machines.

References

• Introduction to Proxmox VE for the Lost Sheep ep1 — Installation Weekend Researcher Tsurezure Diary, 2024-03-10
• Installing Proxmox VE 8 Qiita, 2023-11-11
• Proxmox VE: A Virtualization Platform That Makes GPU Passthrough Easy INTERNET Watch, 2022-10-17