How to Install Proxmox on a Mini PC — Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Why Proxmox on a Mini PC?

Proxmox VE is an open-source virtualization platform that combines KVM hypervisor and LXC containers into one manageable web interface. It is the gold standard for home labs — and it runs beautifully on modern Mini PCs. With 8 cores and 32GB RAM, a Mini PC like the KAMRUI AM21 can comfortably host 6-8 VMs and containers simultaneously — all while sipping 15W at idle.

Prerequisites

  • A Mini PC: x86-64 processor, minimum 8GB RAM (16GB+ recommended), 128GB+ storage. The AM21's Ryzen 7 8745HS with 32GB DDR5 and 1TB NVMe is ideal.
  • A USB flash drive: 4GB+ for the Proxmox installer.
  • Ethernet connection: Proxmox needs a wired network connection during installation.
  • A second computer: To access the Proxmox web interface after installation.
  • Proxmox VE ISO: Download from proxmox.com. Version 8.x is the current stable release.

Step 1: Create the Installation USB

Download the Proxmox VE ISO and write it to a USB drive using balenaEtcher (Windows/macOS/Linux) or Rufus (Windows). Do not use Ventoy for Proxmox — it can cause boot issues with the installer detecting disks.

Step 2: BIOS Configuration

Plug the USB into your Mini PC and boot into BIOS (usually F2, F7, or DEL during startup). Make these changes:

  • Enable Virtualization: Find "SVM Mode" (AMD) or "VT-x" (Intel) and enable it. This is critical — without it, KVM will not work.
  • Enable IOMMU: If you plan to pass through hardware (GPU, NIC) to VMs, enable IOMMU in the BIOS.
  • Boot Order: Set USB as the first boot device.
  • Power Settings: Set "Restore on AC Power Loss" to "Power On" — this ensures your server automatically restarts after a power outage.

Step 3: Install Proxmox VE

Boot from the USB. The Proxmox installer is straightforward:

  1. Select target disk: Choose your NVMe SSD (e.g., /dev/nvme0n1). Proxmox will partition it automatically with ext4 or ZFS.
  2. Set country, timezone, keyboard layout.
  3. Set root password and email: Use a strong password. The email is for system notifications.
  4. Network configuration: This is the most important step. Enter a static IP address for your Proxmox host (e.g., 192.168.1.100/24), gateway (usually 192.168.1.1), and DNS server.

Dual LAN tip for KAMRUI AM21 users: During installation, configure only the first Ethernet port (eno1). The second port (eno2) can be configured later as a dedicated storage network, management interface, or passed through to a pfSense VM. This keeps your Proxmox management traffic separate from your VM traffic.

Step 4: First Login and Post-Installation

After reboot, access Proxmox from your browser at https://[your-ip]:8006. Accept the SSL warning (self-signed certificate).

First things to do:

  • Remove the subscription nag: If you are using the free edition, run the community script to disable the enterprise repository and enable the no-subscription repository.
  • Update the system: apt update && apt dist-upgrade -y
  • Configure storage: Your NVMe drive will show as "local" (for ISOs and templates) and "local-lvm" (for VM disks).
  • Upload ISOs: Upload your OS ISOs (Ubuntu Server, Debian, Windows) to the "local" storage via the web interface.

Step 5: Create Your First VM

Click "Create VM" in the top right. Here is a template for a lightweight Ubuntu Server VM:

  • General: Name = "ubuntu-docker", VM ID = 100
  • OS: Select your Ubuntu Server ISO
  • System: Enable "Qemu Agent", set BIOS to OVMF (UEFI)
  • Disks: 32GB, discard and SSD emulation enabled
  • CPU: 2 cores, type = "host" (for best performance)
  • Memory: 4096 MB (4GB), ballooning enabled
  • Network: Bridged to vmbr0, VirtIO driver

Start the VM, open the console, and install Ubuntu Server as normal. Repeat for each service you want to containerize.

Step 6: Install Docker Inside the VM

SSH into your Ubuntu VM and run:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Now deploy Portainer for easy container management:

docker run -d -p 9443:9443 --name portainer --restart=always \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -v portainer_data:/data \
  portainer/portainer-ce:latest

Optimization Tips for Mini PC Proxmox Hosts

  • CPU governor: Set to "performance" for consistent VM responsiveness, or "ondemand" for power saving. Mini PCs have excellent thermal headroom — "performance" is usually fine.
  • ZFS ARC limit: If using ZFS, limit ARC to 50% of RAM in /etc/modprobe.d/zfs.conf to leave memory for VMs.
  • Backups: Set up automated backups to an external USB drive or a second Mini PC running Proxmox Backup Server.
  • Monitoring: Install Netdata or Grafana + Prometheus for real-time resource monitoring.

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Conclusion

Proxmox on a Mini PC is not a compromise — it is a legitimate, production-ready home lab platform. The KAMRUI AM21 with its 8-core Ryzen 7, 32GB DDR5, and dual 2.5GbE LAN is quite possibly the best Mini PC for Proxmox currently available. One box, six VMs, near-silent operation, and a power bill you will barely notice.

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