Install Proxmox Host via PXE

[robert.kuropkat]

All,

I tried searching, but everything that came up was installing guest VMs in Proxmox via PXE. Has anyone tried installing Proxmox itself via a PXE/Puppet type, network installation? I have a Proxmox Cluster on an isolated network and I am trying to determine how I want to manage them. A PXE/Puppet process for the Proxmox hosts has several advantages to me:

1. They would install via the same mechanism as my guest VMs and bare metal deployments
2. They would be upgraded and maintained by the same.
3. If I want to add a new server to the cluster, I need only fiddle with a few scripts and boot the new server from the network.
4. Horrific disaster recovery would be managed the same

Obviously there would be challenges to doing this, but I have found if you have the requisite knowledge to script a complete install, you have a far better understanding of what is happening under the hood than if just pointed and clicked your way through a default install which is arguably more important than all the reasons listed above.

Also, I'm still very early in the process so I have very little invested in my cluster. It won't bother me at all to blast the whole thing a few times to rebuild from scratch. Very soon now however, that will no longer be true

Thanks much...

 

[bbgeek17]

I dont think the official Proxmox baremetal installer can be automated to your liking. You will need to install Debian first, using the many available guides on PXE installation. Then you can script your favorite management tool to install PVE as packages on top of it.
https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Install_Proxmox_VE_on_Debian_11_Bullseye
Heed to this warning on the above page : "The installation of a supported Proxmox VE server should be done via bare-metal ISO installer".

---

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[lixaotec]

dear @robert.kuropkat

Did you have any progress on that?

Automating proxmox host installation is something very interesting.
Wish to know better
tks

 

[zolti]

dear @robert.kuropkat

Did you have any progress on that?

Automating proxmox host installation is something very interesting.
Wish to know better
tks

https://www.reddit.com/r/homelab/comments/nd5ldl/using_netbootxyz_to_boot_to_and_install_proxmox/

 

[alexskysilk]

https://github.com/morph027/pve-iso-2-pxe

edit

You will need to install Debian first,

This is the way, but in practice its going to be pretty difficult if your storage situation is not EXACTLY the same on every machine. also debian lacks the built in zfs support, so you'd need to customize debian yourself if you want zfs support for your boot device(s).