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Guide · Open source

How to use ProxmoxVE: install scripts, Default vs Advanced and updates

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

ProxmoxVE by community-scripts is a collection of more than 700 shell scripts that build a container or VM on a Proxmox VE host with an application already installed and running. This guide is for homelab users who already run Proxmox VE and want to install common self-hosted services without configuring each container by hand. After reading, you will know what to check before you start, how to run an install, how the Default and Advanced modes differ, and how to update an application later.

Proxmox VE Helper-Scriptscommunity-scripts/ProxmoxVE · ★ 30k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check your Proxmox version. Confirm your host runs Proxmox VE 8.0 to 8.4 or 9.0 to 9.2, as listed in the README.
  2. 2Open the website. Go to community-scripts.org and search for the application you want.
  3. 3Copy the install command. Copy the one-line command from the script page.
  4. 4Open the Proxmox shell. Log in as root on the Proxmox host and open its shell.
  5. 5Paste and run. Paste the command into the shell and press Enter.
  6. 6Pick Default or Advanced. Choose Default for quick sensible settings or Advanced to set networking, storage and application options.
  7. 7Update later. Open the container console and run update to update the installed application.

What ProxmoxVE does and what it does not

Each script describes what to install. Creating the container, asking the questions and handling errors is done by a shared engine called core, which every script loads when it starts. The scripts are MIT licensed, written in Shell, and maintained by a community that builds on the original work of tteck.

  • Covers home automation, media, networking, databases, monitoring, security and developer tooling
  • Targets Proxmox VE only; the same scripts can also run on an Incus host via a separate repository

Check the requirements before you start

The README lists the supported Proxmox VE versions, the access you need and the network requirement. Virtual machine scripts need the same versions as containers.

  • Proxmox VE 8.0 to 8.4, or 9.0 to 9.2
  • A root shell on the Proxmox host
  • Internet access during installation

Install an application with one command

Go to community-scripts.org, search for the service you want, and copy the one-line install command from its script page. Open your Proxmox shell and paste the command. Then choose Default or Advanced and follow the prompts.

Each script page lists what the container includes, the default resources and the post-install notes. Read the script before you run it, because these commands run as root on your host.

  • Search for a service such as Home Assistant, Nginx Proxy Manager or Jellyfin
  • Paste the command into the Proxmox shell
  • Choose Default or Advanced

Choose Default or Advanced setup

Default picks sensible resources and asks only what it has to. Most installs finish in a few minutes.

Advanced lets you set container settings, networking, storage backend and application options before anything is created.

Update an installed application

Every container gets an update command. Open the container console and run it. It updates the installed application and reaches settings that would otherwise mean editing config files by hand. VM scripts have no built-in updater, so use the guest's own package manager.

update

Test a fork or branch (advanced users)

You can point the scripts at your own fork or branch by setting COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL on the command itself. Only change COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_CORE_URL when you are changing the engine. A local checkout of core takes priority over both, and you can point to it with COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_CORE_DIR.

COMMUNITY_SCRIPTS_URL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/YOU/ProxmoxVE/my-branch \ bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/YOU/ProxmoxVE/my-branch/ct/debian.sh)"

What people use it for

  • Running Home Assistant-style home automation services on Proxmox
  • Installing media services such as Jellyfin on a homelab host
  • Deploying Nginx Proxy Manager as a reverse proxy
  • Testing a fork or branch of the scripts before a change is merged

Frequently asked questions

Is ProxmoxVE free to use?

Yes. The project is licensed under the MIT licence, and its source is public in the community-scripts GitHub repositories. You still need your own Proxmox VE host to run it.

What Proxmox VE versions does ProxmoxVE support?

The README lists Proxmox VE 8.0 to 8.4 and 9.0 to 9.2. Versions outside those ranges are not listed as supported.

Do I need to be root to install with ProxmoxVE?

You need a root shell on the Proxmox host. The README notes that these commands run as root, so read a script before you paste its command.

How do I update an app installed with ProxmoxVE?

Open the container console and type update. It updates the installed application. VM scripts do not include an updater, so use the guest's own package manager.

Can I use these scripts with Incus instead of Proxmox?

The scripts target Proxmox VE. The README says the same scripts run on an Incus host through a separate Incus repository.

What are the alternatives to ProxmoxVE helper scripts?

The README names the original tteck Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts project, Ansible and Docker Compose as comparable projects. Ansible and Docker Compose work differently, as they manage configuration or containers rather than building Proxmox containers from a single command.

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Our verdict

ProxmoxVE suits homelab users who run Proxmox VE 8.0 to 9.2 and want quick, prompt-driven installs of common self-hosted services with a simple update command. Skip it if you do not run Proxmox, if you are not comfortable running root-level scripts from the internet on your host, or if you prefer to define your services as code with tools like Ansible or Docker Compose.

Install options & downloads