Proxmox Cloud-Init VM Virtualization Tutorial

Install and configure Proxmox – create Cloud-Init server

Guide to creating and securing a VM with Cloud-Init in Proxmox. Includes template clone, Cloud-Init config, firewall and IP set. For Proxmox installation see our YouTube tutorial.

5 MIN READ

LEVEL: intermediate

For installing Proxmox and setting up the host system, we recommend the video above. The following guide only describes creating a VM (server) in Proxmox with Cloud-Init.

Cloud-Init templates & Proxmox installation

Our Cloud-Init templates (e.g. cloudinit-ubuntu22.04, cloudinit-debian12) are available in Proxmox. MagicHosting support handles the Proxmox installation and host setup. Cloud-Init templates are provided free of charge by ServerLoom for customers only. If you are interested, simply open a ticket and we will set up the templates for you.

1. Create server

Select template (e.g. cloudinit-ubuntu22.04)
Right-click → Clone
Mode: Full Clone
Assign new VMID
Set hardware: CPU, RAM, disk
Assign name
Select storage

2. Configure server (Cloud-Init)

VM → Cloud-Init

Login: Enter username and password
Network: Enter IP, gateway and DNS (see example below)
Save, then Cloud-Init → Regenerate Image

BASH

IP      YOUR-IP/24
Gateway  GATEWAY-IP
DNS      8.8.8.8 1.1.1.1

3. Check hardware

VM → Hardware

CPU: host
CPU limit (cpulimit): ideally set to 0 (no limit)
SCSI Controller: VirtIO SCSI
Disk: VirtIO
Network: VirtIO, Bridge: vmbr0

4. Enable firewall globally

Datacenter → Firewall → Options → Firewall: Yes
Node → Firewall → Options → Firewall: Yes

5. Enable firewall for the VM

VM → Firewall → Options

Firewall: Yes
Input Policy: DROP
Output Policy: ACCEPT
IP-Set: must also be enabled (see step 6)

6. Create IP set

VM → Firewall → IPSet → Create

Name: e.g. ipfilter-net0
Add entry: e.g. 5.175.192.223 – only this IP may be used

7. Start server

VM → Start – done.

Step by step: create and secure VM with Cloud-Init

In short: Clone template → Configure Cloud-Init (login, network, Regenerate Image) → Check hardware (CPU host, VirtIO) → Enable firewall globally and for VM (Input DROP, Output ACCEPT) → Create IP set for access from your IP only → Start VM.

For the Proxmox installation itself, check out our YouTube tutorial. For questions: Open a ticket with ServerLoom.