Proxmox VE virtualization platform reference for VM management, containers, clustering, and homelab infrastructure.
Quick Reference
# VM management (qm)
qm list # List all VMs
qm status <vmid> # Check VM status
qm start <vmid> # Start VM
qm stop <vmid> # Stop VM (graceful)
qm shutdown <vmid> # Shutdown VM (ACPI)
qm unlock <vmid> # Remove lock
qm config <vmid> # Show VM config
pct list # List all containers pct status # Check container status pct start # Start container pct stop # Stop container pct enter # Enter container shell
Cluster management (pvecm)pvecm status # Cluster status and quorum pvecm nodes # List cluster nodes
API shell (pvesh)pvesh get /nodes # List nodes via API pvesh get /nodes//status # Node resource status
Backup (vzdump)vzdump --mode snapshot --storage vzdump --all --compress zstd
## Reference Files
Load on-demand based on task:
| Topic | File | When to Load |
|-------|------|--------------|
| VM vs LXC | [vm-lxc.md](references/vm-lxc.md) | Choosing virtualization type |
| Docker Hosting | [docker-hosting.md](references/docker-hosting.md) | Running Docker on Proxmox |
| Networking | [networking.md](references/networking.md) | Bridges, VLANs, SDN, firewall |
| Storage | [storage.md](references/storage.md) | Storage backends, content types |
| Cloud-init | [cloud-init-templates.md](references/cloud-init-templates.md) | VM provisioning with cloud-init |
| Clustering | [clustering.md](references/clustering.md) | HA, quorum, fencing |
| Backup | [backup.md](references/backup.md) | vzdump modes, restore |
| CLI Tools | [cli-tools.md](references/cli-tools.md) | qm, pct, pvecm, pvesh commands |
| Troubleshooting | [troubleshooting.md](references/troubleshooting.md) | Common errors, diagnostics |
| Automation Tools | [automation-tools.md](references/automation-tools.md) | Terraform/Ansible integration |
## Validation Checklist
Before deploying VMs/containers:
- [ ] Cluster status healthy (`pvecm status`)
- [ ] Node resources available (CPU, RAM, disk)
- [ ] Storage accessible and mounted
- [ ] Network bridges configured correctly
- [ ] VLAN tags match network design
- [ ] Resource allocation within node limits
- [ ] HA configuration correct (if enabled)
- [ ] Backup schedule in place
- [ ] Naming convention followed
## VM vs LXC Quick Decision
| Factor | Use VM | Use LXC |
|--------|--------|---------|
| OS | Windows, BSD, any | Linux only |
| Isolation | Full kernel isolation | Shared kernel |
| Performance | Good | Better (lighter) |
| Startup | Slower | Fast |
| Density | Lower | Higher |
| Complexity | Any workload | Simple services |
## Homelab Network VLANs
| VLAN | Purpose | Proxmox Bridge |
|------|---------|----------------|
| 5 | Management (Web UI, API, SSH) | vmbr5 |
| 1 | Trusted network | vmbr0 |
| 11 | Storage (NFS/Ceph, MTU 9000) | vmbr11 |
| 12 | High-speed transfers | vmbr12 |