Previously published as Proxmox VE 8 Practical Guide by Ralf-Peter Kleinert.

Updated edition.

All my Proxmox books are complemented by my Proxmox tutorials on my YouTube channel. You can find me by searching for "Ralf-Peter Kleinert Proxmox" on YouTube. This makes the concepts from the books much clearer and easier to follow. You can enable subtitles in your language under the videos.

Installing Proxmox, setting up the Proxmox Backup Server, building a Proxmox cluster, automation, VLAN, troubleshooting, Proxmox Firewall – there’s a whole lot packed into this book.

Dear readers, in line with my Proxmox books, I’ve started publishing YouTube tutorials. These complement the sometimes complex content of the books and give you the opportunity to visually follow certain topics step by step. The response to these videos has been very positive so far. In this book, you’ll already find several links to the tutorials to make it even easier to get started.

I’ve thoroughly and comprehensively revised this book following feedback and criticisms. Even the criticized text size has been adjusted in response to negative reviews. While I received many positive comments, I focused particularly on the negative feedback to make the book even more helpful and user-friendly. One criticism was that my book wasn’t suitable for advanced users – that struck a chord with me because the positive reviews say otherwise. Nonetheless, I took this criticism to heart and gathered all my knowledge about Proxmox in greater detail.

This book now provides detailed instructions for installing Proxmox, whether on a physical server or a Hetzner server. Additionally, you’ll find an updated description of setting up the Proxmox Backup Server, numerous practical guides, and a comprehensive chapter on the Proxmox Firewall. The section on Fail2Ban has also been revised, with dedicated YouTube videos linked to make difficult parts even clearer.

New to this edition is a command reference, offering a quick overview of the most important commands, as well as detailed guides on configuring the Proxmox Firewall to make your environment even more secure. All in all, this book is a significantly expanded and optimized edition, aimed at both beginners and experienced IT professionals who want to fully understand and utilize Proxmox.

It was very, very difficult for me to strike the right balance between compact knowledge, good clarity, the amount of text and images, and the printing cost. The critiques pushed me to adopt a different format and include many more screenshots in the book, but this means I can no longer offer it at the same price – simply because printing has become more expensive. The book now contains numerous screenshots that guide you step by step through the installations of Proxmox and PBS.

I hope my revisions meet the expectations of the critics while still providing readers who gave me positive feedback with a helpful and high-quality book. My goal was to learn from the feedback and create a work that meets the needs of both beginners and advanced users.

Criticism is never easy to take, especially when you’ve poured so much heart and soul into a project. But it motivated me to make this book even better. I’m curious to hear how you like the new edition, and I look forward to continuing to incorporate your suggestions and improve my books. Because, in the end, one thing matters most to me: that this book provides the support you need to successfully use Proxmox.