Proxmox Web Interface Tour

Proxmox Web Interface Tour

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The Proxmox web interface is your command center for everything — creating VMs, managing containers, configuring storage, monitoring performance, and setting up networking. In this lesson, we'll walk through every major section of the interface so you know exactly where to find what you need.

The Layout: Left Navigation Panel

When you first log in, you'll see a two-panel layout. The left panel is a tree view of your Proxmox infrastructure:

• Datacenter: The root node. This is where cluster-wide settings live — storage, network, authentication, and permissions. If you have multiple Proxmox servers in a cluster, they all appear under the Datacenter node.
• Node (pve): Your physical server. This is where you manage hardware-level settings — network interfaces, disks, CPU, and system services. Each physical Proxmox server is a "node."
• VMs and Containers: Under each node, you'll see all your virtual machines and LXC containers listed with their VM ID, name, and status (running, stopped, paused).
• Storage: Under Datacenter, you can define shared storage pools that all nodes can use.

The Layout: Center Content Area

When you select an item in the left panel, the center area shows contextual information and actions. Each item type has its own set of tabs:

Datacenter-Level Tabs

• Search: Find any VM, container, or resource across your entire cluster.
• Cluster: Manage cluster membership. Add or remove nodes here.
• Storage: Add and configure storage backends — LVM, ZFS, NFS, iSCSI, Proxmox Backup Server, directory, and more.
• Network: Define bridges, VLANs, bonds, and other network interfaces at the datacenter level.
• Permissions: Create users, groups, roles, and API tokens. Proxmox has a granular RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) system.
• Options: Set keyboard layout, default storage, migration settings, and other cluster-wide defaults.

Node-Level Tabs

Click on your node name (e.g., "pve") to see hardware-specific options:

• Summary: CPU, memory, storage, and network usage graphs. Server uptime, CPU model, and kernel version.
• Shell: A web-based terminal. You can run any Linux command directly from your browser. This is incredibly useful for troubleshooting and running scripts.
• System: View network interfaces, DNS settings, time configuration, and certificate management.
• Updates: Check for and install package updates. You can also upgrade between Proxmox major versions here.
• Disks: View all physical drives, create ZFS pools, configure LVM, and manage disk health (SMART data for supported drives).
• Network: Create and configure network bridges (vmbr0), VLANs, bonds, and IP addresses. Changes here affect the host's network directly.

VM/Container-Level Tabs

Click on any VM or container to see its management interface:

• Summary: Status, resource usage, and a power-control sidebar (Start, Shutdown, Stop, Reset, Migrate).
• Hardware: Add or remove virtual CPUs, RAM, disks, network interfaces, CD/DVD drives, USB passthrough, and PCI passthrough.
• Options: Configure VM name, boot order, QEMU guest agent, start-at-boot, and more.
• Backup: Take manual backups or schedule automatic backups of this specific VM.
• Snapshots: Create, restore, and delete point-in-time snapshots.
• Console: Open a noVNC or SPICE console to see the VM's screen and interact with it directly — like sitting in front of a physical monitor.

Creating Your First VM from the Interface

The top-right of the interface has a "Create VM" button. This launches a wizard that walks you through:

1. General: VM ID (auto-assigned), hostname, and node selection.
2. OS: Select the ISO image (you'll need to upload one first via the node's ISO Images tab).
3. System: Choose the graphics adapter (default is fine), SCSI controller (VirtIO SCSI for best performance), and BIOS (SeaBIOS or OVMF for UEFI).
4. Disks: Set disk size, storage location, and bus type (VirtIO Block for best performance).
5. CPU: Assign cores (start with 2 for most workloads), choose CPU type (host for best performance, x86-64 for maximum compatibility).
6. Memory: Assign RAM (balloon driver allows dynamic allocation).
7. Network: Select the bridge (usually vmbr0), set the VLAN tag if needed, and choose the model (VirtIO for best performance).

Key Takeaways

• The left panel is a tree view; the center panel shows details for whatever you select
• Datacenter settings are cluster-wide; Node settings are hardware-specific; VM settings are per-VM
• The built-in shell lets you run Linux commands without SSH
• The Create VM wizard makes VM creation a guided process — no command line required