Headless installation of proxmox

[Ga1i130]

Hello

I've got an older Workstation. This Workstation was build into an Server Rack previously, this is the reason why it has no video output. My Question is:

Am i able to install proxmox onto this workstation with out a monitor, mice or keyboard?

Infra:
- Workstation
- Stable LAN connection
- Standalone PC

Why i want this:
Im in a apprenticeship in system Engineering and we often need some Test labs with multiple vm's i d'like to "outsource" those from my laptop/pc to this workstation.

Thanks

 

[gurubert]

If you can install Debian 11 on it automatically you could install Proxmox on top of it.
The Proxmox Installer ISO needs Monitor and Keyboard for the interactive installation.

 

[Ga1i130]

If you can install Debian 11 on it automatically you could install Proxmox on top of it.
The Proxmox Installer ISO needs Monitor and Keyboard for the interactive installation.

So its not possible to install the proxmox iso directly onto the workstation without monitor and key board?

 

[gurubert]

It is an interactive installation which requires monitor and keyboard.

 

[Dunuin]

Debian got a text based installer which can be run through a SSH/serial connection. And Debian is also capable of an unattended installation. So try to install a Debian 11 and convert it into a PVE 7.1 like described here afterwards: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Install_Proxmox_VE_on_Debian_11_Bullseye

But keep in mind that Debian got no ZFS support out of the box, so you might need to use a mdadm SW raid and not ZFS in case you want your system partition to be mirrored.

 

[LnxBil]

Is there no management interface available for the workstation? Normally, Workstations (and Servers) have a built-in management like iLO, idrac, iRMC so that you can just remotly control your monitor, keyboard and virtual media. I'm using this for decades to install systems.

 

[Ga1i130]

Is there no management interface available for the workstation? Normally, Workstations (and Servers) have a built-in management like iLO, idrac, iRMC so that you can just remotly control your monitor, keyboard and virtual media. I'm using this for decades to install systems.

I guess so. probably idrac. Thanks for your advice i'll try to use the management interface.

 

[svandive]

How about installation via Console (RS232). There are several machines these days (Dell VEP 14xx, Lanner 1515, Advantech, SuperMicro) that are designed and sold as compute nodes with high CPU core counts, RAM, and Storage but in sleek tiny packages (mainly used for uCPE applications). However these devices typically (save for superMicro) don't come with a Video interface. They instead have a Console or RS-232 console redirect configured to serial port. Here you can use terminal emulation software (like Putty or Serial on Mac) to connect to the devices and receive just Text Based interaction with the machine. You can get in and adjust the BIOS and install Linux usually with no problem using a non-graphical, text only installation process. Any idea how to tell the ProxMox installer that you are on a headless (Console) machine???

 

[Dunuin]

The PVE installer doesn't support text-based (console only) installation. For that there is the option to install PVE ontop of Debian and the way more powerful debian installer supports that. Only downside that comes to my mind is that the debian installer won't support to boot from ZFS.

 

[LnxBil]

Only downside that comes to my mind is that the debian installer won't support to boot from ZFS.

Yes, you can go down that road with a serial-based live linux (e.g. via pxe) and install everything yourself. I've done that a few times on Soekris boxes and it works, but it is not a straight-forward "next->next->next" kind of an installation.

 

[User_Zero]

I just wanted to add to the conversation, this might be helpful...

Backstory: I found myself in a similar situation... I had a custom built server that was originally built to run as a powerful network appliance, but was no longer needed for that role. The system is running an Intel CPU with a bunch of cores and ton of RAM, a huge SSD, and an 8 interface NIC. Since it was custom built to be a network appliance, the system has no traditional expansion slots and no video out. I do have an rs232 and 2 usb ports. Seemed like a waste to throw it out, so...

- I had a small 32GB SSD laying around and used a "stub computer" to install Proxmox to that SSD (didn't want to eat up space on the server's nvme). The stub machine worked (software installed and system booted), but when I moved the SSD to my custom server, i couldn't reach the system's IP. I noticed that the onboard NIC's LEDs weren't lighting up (driver issue?). not having any video made troubleshooting impossible, so instead of working based off of an error message i just threw stuff at the wall till something suck.

- This is what worked: I re-ran the Proxmox installer using my "stub pc" again, but this time, i connected a USB NIC (prior to starting up). The installer saw the NIC and was able to use it. i used the NIC to finish the setup (on my stub pc). I rebooted the stub pc and made sure the software was working. I then shutdown and took my SSD and USB NIC over to my custom server and no whammys... IT WORKED! I'm using the USB NIC until I can figure out the driver issue for the onboard NIC. (NOTE: when i did the initial install and testing the SSD was in a USB caddy, but it's now plugged into the one SATA port on the mobo).

The process wasn't that much more involved than doing the install natively... just had to open the case and move a physical drive back and forth.

I hope this helps!

 

[User_Zero]

A final update: I got the onboard NICs working. I guess Proxmox disables all the NICs except the one you're using, which when i moved the disk the first time was all 8 ports being unused. It wouldn't be an issue if i had console access, but since i didn't, i couldn't enable any of the other interfaces. The USB NIC was CRUCIAL because the system recognized (and used) the NIC when it was connected to the new hardware, which was necessary to get into the system. Once in, I just added one of the other existing NICs to the bridge and now I'm good to go. Someone more well versed with Linux might be able to work out a better solution, but at my level, this was the way to go.