Local Web Console for Guest Usage?

[verulian]

I've got a scenario where a Proxmox server needs to double as sort of a workstation as well. It's not something that requires heavy use, but it nonetheless requires the ability to utilize the console of guests a few times a week for monitoring, etc. My thought is to install xorg + Firefox on Proxmox, but is there a better option?

Has anyone had success with some suggested steps for this?

Would it better to install Proxmox in a standard Debian install instead of via the Proxmox iso for this functionality?

 

[Stoiko Ivanov]

Has anyone had success with some suggested steps for this?

Yes - in fact it's what all of us here use for their daily work
As long as you can install all necessary packages you should be good.

take a look at this wiki-article describing one graphic setup with PVE (although still written for debian stretch):
https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Developer_Workstations_with_Proxmox_VE_and_X11


I hope this helps!

 

[verulian]

This is excellent, thank you! Can you share how this can be modified or updated such that you can log in as a user in text mode and then simply do a `startx` to invoke X(org) + the XFCE (or other window manager)?

The obvious goal being to avoid extra RAM usage unless and until desired via login and invocation. No real reason to have a window manager automatically starting unless you want "autologin" enabled.

 

[Stoiko Ivanov]

This is excellent, thank you! Can you share how this can be modified or updated such that you can log in as a user in text mode and then simply do a `startx` to invoke X(org) + the XFCE (or other window manager)?

This is something that is quite well explained in many tutorials on the net and not really PVE specific - I guess simply not installing lightdm (or disabling it from automatically starting).
see:
https://wiki.debian.org/Xorg
https://wiki.debian.org/xinit

The obvious goal being to avoid extra RAM usage unless and until desired via login and invocation. No real reason to have a window manager automatically starting unless you want "autologin" enabled.

You can also have autologin without a display manager (or X in general) - just for completeness sake