Upgrading from Proxmox 8.2 to 8.3: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Transitioning from another virtualization platform like VMware to Proxmox can be daunting, but leveraging Proxmox’s robust features and open-source nature is rewarding. One of the essential tasks you’ll face is upgrading your Proxmox servers. Today, I’ll walk you through upgrading from Proxmox VE 8.2 to 8.3.

Understanding the Basics

First, Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) is a comprehensive server management platform for virtualization, including support for KVM and LXC. Upgrading Proxmox ensures you have the latest features and security updates.

Why Upgrade?

Upgrading your system ensures you have the latest bug fixes, security patches, and improvements. For those who recently moved to Proxmox due to changes in VMware’s policies, staying updated will help you maintain a stable and secure environment.

Preparing for the Upgrade

Before you upgrade, it’s essential to back up your data. While upgrades are designed to be smooth, it’s always safe to have backups should anything go awry.

Step 1: Configuring the Repository

For users of the free version of Proxmox, you’ll need to add the proper repository to fetch updates. This step is crucial because the default configuration may not be the latest version.

Add the new repository by running the following command in your terminal:

echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-install-repo.list

Step 2: Trust the Proxmox GPG Key

Next, you need to add the GPG key from Proxmox to ensure the authenticity of the packages you are about to download:

wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg

Step 3: The Upgrade Process

Now that your repositories are set up, you’re ready to proceed with the upgrade:

apt update && apt -y dist-upgrade

This command updates your package lists and upgrades all your installed packages to their latest versions.

Step 4: Reboot Your Server

After the upgrade completes, reboot your server to ensure all updates are correctly applied:

reboot

Alternative option

You can use Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts, which performs all these processes with just one single command.

bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/misc/post-pve-install.sh)"

Post-Upgrade Considerations

Once your system restarts, you should be running Proxmox 8.3. It’s a good practice to check the system status and review logs to ensure everything is operating correctly. You can check the version of Proxmox and other system details via the Proxmox VE web interface.

Conclusion

Upgrading Proxmox VE might seem complex, but it’s straightforward once you know the steps involved. Keeping your Proxmox server up to date ensures a secure, stable, and efficient virtualization environment. Happy virtualizing!