Proxmox Backup Server on Rocky Linux - Compatibility

[TheGreenLan93]

Hi experts,

I have a few questions about Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) and how it might work with environments based on Rocky Linux.
1. Compatibility with Rocky Linux :
Is it possible to install PBS directly on Rocky Linux (or any RHEL-compatible distribution) ?
I understand the official documentation only supports Debian 12 (Bookworm) and provides .deb packages (https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/installation.html#install-proxmox-backup-server-on-debian), but :
- Has anyone tried installing PBS on Rocky Linux and could share their experience?
2. Integration with Proxmox VE and remote storage :
If I deploy PBS using the official ISO in a VM on Proxmox VE, can I mount or access remote storage (NFS, CIFS, SSHFS, etc.) located on a Rocky Linux server and use it as a backup target?

Thanks in advance

 

[Chris]

Is it possible to install PBS directly on Rocky Linux (or any RHEL-compatible distribution) ?

No, this is not a tested and supported setup, use either the official ISO for installation or install PBS on top of Debian.

If I deploy PBS using the official ISO in a VM on Proxmox VE, can I mount or access remote storage (NFS, CIFS, SSHFS, etc.) located on a Rocky Linux server and use it as a backup target?

Yes, this is possible, although not managed by PBS itself. You will have to resort to the cli and set this up manually. Further, be aware of the additional points of failure introduced by such a setup and possible performance limitations.

Recommended system requirements are listed in the docs: https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/installation.html#system-requirements

 

[TheGreenLan93]

Thanks for the info!
Based on your reply, I understand that installing PBS directly on Rocky Linux isn’t supported, and that running it in a VM on Proxmox VE with remote storage (e.g. NFS from Rocky) is possible with some manual setup.
I have two quick follow-up questions to help me move forward with the best approach :

Is running Proxmox Backup Server in a VM on Proxmox VE considered a supported setup ?
I know the official ISO is designed for bare metal, but is it fully supported to run PBS as a VM in a Proxmox VE environment for production use - assuming proper system resources and best practices are followed ?

Can the proxmox-backup-client be used on Rocky Linux or other RHEL-based distros ?
Most of my servers are running Rocky Linux 9, and I’d like to install the PBS client on them to back up data to my PBS instance.
Is it compatible and stable on these systems? Has anyone tried it successfully?

 

[Chris]

Is running Proxmox Backup Server in a VM on Proxmox VE considered a supported setup ?

You can run the PBS as VM on top of PVE, but it is not recommended, as your PVE host will then be the single point of failure. Meaning if your PVE host fails, you have no means to restore the backups. Remote PBS instances and periodic sync jobs might help to mitigate this, see https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/managing-remotes.html

Can the proxmox-backup-client be used on Rocky Linux or other RHEL-based distros ?
Most of my servers are running Rocky Linux 9, and I’d like to install the PBS client on them to back up data to my PBS instance.
Is it compatible and stable on these systems? Has anyone tried it successfully?

The proxmox backup client is also offered as statically linked binary, meaning it has no external dynamic system libraries it depends on. This version of the client can be used on a broad range of Linux host, although limited to the x64 architecture. For further details and limitations see https://pbs.proxmox.com/docs/backup-client.html#statically-linked-backup-client