Apache2 virtual hosts

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tdukes

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Oct 25, 2026
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Hi,

I was planning to do a new Debian 13 install but thought about trying Proxmox.

My concern is I self-host several personal websites currently running as virtual hosts on Debian 12. I would like to do so again in a Debian 13 VM under Proxmox. I'm hoping/guessing I can set it up like I have now once I install the Debian 13 VM under Proxmox.

I don't want to get in over my head. If this is going to be messy, I'll just do the Debian 13 install.

Thanks for any advice on this situation!
 
The question you need to ask is what is the primary use of the machine going to be?

Do you need/want to primarily use the machine as a desktop while hosting some small virtual machines "on the side" so to speak? If so, setting up virt-manager or virtualbox on Debian 13 as you have now is going to be simpler and more familiar.

If on the other hand the computer is going to be dedicated to virtual machines or you think you might want to use some Proxmox features like Ceph or clustering or ZFS now or in the near future then Proxmox is likely the better answer.

Note also that if you are now using virt-manager or virtualbox, your VM configurations won't be usable under Proxmox as it has its own configuration file format.
 
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Currently, I use it just for the websites and I also run Plex Server on it. I already tried Debian 13 with KVM and Virtualbox. I had issues. I wanted to use a bridged network but it won't allow me. It wants to use NAT routing on a different subnet which makes it an issue to access from my local network .I was able to do it on Debian 12. I still have the backup for that. Currently due to me trying to setup a bridge on Debian 13, I hosed something up and the server has no internet. I was going to re-install after the current backup completes.

I wanted to setup a Docker instance of Pi-Hole in Debian 13 but something is wrong there as well. I had Openweb Gui with Claude running in a docker instance but it won't let me run anything else. I removed Docker and reinstalled but but still have issues.

Realistically, I probably should go back to Debian 12.

I'd really like to try Proxmox if I do nothing more than a VM for Debian and a container for Plex and Pi-Hole. I have Adguard Home running on a RPI4. Thought I'd run both.

Thanks
 
What you describe (one Debian VM for the websites, plus containers for Plex and Pi-hole) is a very common first Proxmox setup, and it's not messy. The thing that broke for you on Debian 13 is the part Proxmox does for you: the installer creates a Linux bridge called vmbr0 on your network card. Every VM or container you attach to vmbr0 gets its own address on your normal home subnet, the same as any other device on your LAN. No NAT and no second subnet.

One thing to check before you start: is the server on Ethernet or Wi-Fi? A standard Linux bridge doesn't work over Wi-Fi, because the access point won't accept frames from several MAC addresses through one wireless client. If the box was on Wi-Fi, that alone may explain why bridging failed on Debian 13. For Proxmox, plug it in with a cable.

A rough plan:
  1. Install Proxmox and give the host a fixed IP on your LAN (the installer asks for it).
  2. Create a Debian 13 VM on vmbr0 and give it a fixed IP (a static address or a DHCP reservation on the router).
  3. Copy your Apache setup over from the backup: /etc/apache2/sites-available/, your web roots (usually /var/www/), and your TLS certs (/etc/letsencrypt/ if you use certbot). Then a2ensite each site, run apache2ctl configtest, and reload. The vhost files themselves don't change.
  4. On the router, point the 80/443 port forwards at the VM's new IP instead of the old server.
  5. Plex and Pi-hole can each go in their own LXC container (or Docker inside a VM, if you'd rather keep Docker). For Plex, put the media on a disk or dataset on the host and bind-mount it into the container (an mp0 entry in the container config), so the media never lives inside the container itself.

The biggest win for you is probably this: before you change anything inside a VM, take a snapshot, or a backup with vzdump from the GUI. If you break networking or Docker again, you roll back in a minute instead of reinstalling.

If you get stuck on the bridge or the IP setup, post the output of cat /etc/network/interfaces from the Proxmox host and someone can spot the problem quickly.
 
AWESOME!! Thanks!!

One more question if you have time.

I'm installing on a old Dell R420 server. I have 4 - 4TB drives, 2 CPUs and 128GB RAM. I'm running RAID 10. Anything I should know or do differently? What I'm thinking about is a storage location. I'll have more than enough storage as it is but if there's a better way, I'm open to it.

TIA
 
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