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Install Proxmox VE 9 on Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4

February 26, 2026

Proxmox VE logo

This tutorial walks through installing Proxmox VE 9 on the Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4 that powers the project Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4 Homelab Test Environment.

The goal is not to cover every possible Proxmox option, but to give a clean, reproducible baseline for this specific test server:

  • Proxmox VE 9 from the official ISO.
  • Bootable media created with Ventoy on a 32 GB USB 3.0 pendrive.
  • Static IP 172.100.12.253 and hostname node1.test.beingdevops.com.
  • Root user password set during install and used for the first login via https://IP:8006.

For architectural background and hardware rationale, see the project page and the blog “Building a Dedicated Test Homelab on a Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4” (once published).

1. Prerequisites and Scope

Before you start, you should have:

  • The Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4 assembled as described in the project page (Xeon E3‑1220 v2, 32 GB ECC, 1 TB NVMe via PCIe adapter).
  • A workstation or laptop (Linux, macOS, or Windows) with internet access.
  • A 32 GB USB 3.0 pendrive (dedicated to Ventoy; its contents will be erased).
  • Network access where 172.100.12.253 is a free IP and node1.test.beingdevops.com is either resolvable or at least meaningful for your own use.

This tutorial assumes you are comfortable with:

  • Basic BIOS navigation.
  • Downloading ISOs from vendor sites.
  • Booting from USB.

2. Adjust BIOS on the X3100 M4

On refurbished enterprise hardware, BIOS defaults may not be ideal for virtualization. On the Lenovo IBM System X3100 M4:

  1. Power on and enter BIOS

    • Press the appropriate key (often F1 or F2) during POST to enter setup.

  2. Enable virtualization features

    • Locate Intel VT‑x (and VT‑d if available) and set them to Enabled.

  3. Confirm storage and boot options

    • Verify the NVMe SSD (via PCIe adapter) is visible to the system (if exposed via BIOS).
    • Set USB as a bootable device and ensure it sits above the internal disk in the temporary boot order for this install.

  4. Save and exit

    • Save changes and reboot so the system is ready to boot from the Ventoy USB.

These settings are one‑time but essential: without VT‑x enabled, Proxmox will install but nested virtualization performance will suffer.

3. Download Proxmox VE 9 ISO

On your workstation:

  1. Go to the official Proxmox VE downloads page:
    • https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads
  2. Under Proxmox VE 9, download the latest ISO Installer (for example, Proxmox VE 9.1 ISO Installer).
  3. Verify the download if desired (checksums are provided on the same page).

Keep the ISO file (e.g. proxmox-ve_9.1-iso-installer.iso) handy; you will copy it to the Ventoy USB next.

4. Prepare Ventoy USB (32 GB USB 3.0)

Ventoy allows you to maintain a multi‑ISO USB stick that you can reuse for other installs later.

  1. Download Ventoy from the official site:

    • https://www.ventoy.net/

  2. Install Ventoy onto the 32 GB USB:

    • On Windows, use the Ventoy GUI.
    • On Linux/macOS, use the CLI (Ventoy2Disk.sh) and point it at the USB device.

    Warning: Installing Ventoy will erase all data on the USB drive. Double‑check the device name before proceeding.

  3. After Ventoy is installed, mount the new Ventoy volume and copy the Proxmox ISO onto it:

    • Example: copy proxmox-ve_9.x-iso-installer.iso directly into the root of the USB.

You now have a reusable Ventoy boot disk with Proxmox VE 9 ready to install.

5. Boot the X3100 from Ventoy and Start the Proxmox Installer

With the USB prepared:

  1. Insert the Ventoy USB into a USB port on the X3100 M4.

  2. Power on the server and open the boot menu (F12 or equivalent).

  3. Select the USB drive as the temporary boot device.

  4. When the Ventoy menu appears:

    • Use the arrow keys to select the Proxmox VE 9 ISO entry.
    • Press Enter to boot.

  5. When the Proxmox boot menu appears, choose:

    • Install Proxmox VE (Graphical).

The guided Proxmox VE 9 installer will now start.

6. Guided Proxmox VE 9 Installation

Follow the on‑screen steps (exact wording may vary slightly between minor releases of Proxmox VE 9):

  1. License and EULA

    • Read and accept the license terms to continue.

  2. Target disk

    • Select the 1 TB NVMe SSD as the installation target.
    • For this test environment, a simple ext4 or ZFS single disk layout is sufficient.
    • Confirm the partitioning warning; this will erase any existing data on the SSD.

  3. Location and time zone

    • Choose your country, time zone, and keyboard layout appropriate for your setup.

  4. Root password and email

    • Set a strong root password (you will use this to log in to the web UI later).
    • Provide an email address for Proxmox notifications (optional but recommended).

  5. Network configuration

    • Select the primary network interface (onboard Gigabit NIC).
    • Configure:
      • Hostname: node1.test.beingdevops.com
      • IP address (IPv4): 172.100.12.253
      • Netmask: as appropriate for your lab (e.g. 255.255.255.0 / /24)
      • Gateway: your router IP (e.g. 172.100.12.1)
      • DNS server: your preferred DNS (e.g. 172.100.12.112 Technitium, or 8.8.8.8 initially)

  6. Summary and install

    • Review the summary (disk, network, hostname, IP, root password).
    • Start the installation and wait for it to complete.

At the end, the installer will prompt you to reboot and remove the installation media.

7. First Login to the Proxmox Web UI

After the server reboots:

  1. Ensure the Ventoy USB is removed or that the boot order now prefers the internal disk.

  2. From your workstation, open a browser and navigate to:

    https://172.100.12.253:8006

  3. Modern browsers will warn you about a self‑signed certificate:

    • Continue to the site (add an exception) for now; you can replace the certificate later.

  4. On the Proxmox login page:

    • User name: root
    • Password: the root password you configured during installation.
    • Realm: Linux PAM (default).

  5. After login, you should see:

    • The Proxmox VE dashboard with node node1.test.beingdevops.com.
    • Navigation for Datacenter, node summary, CPU/RAM usage, and storage.

At this point, Proxmox VE 9 is installed and reachable on the dedicated test server, with a fixed IP and hostname that match the X3100 project documentation.

8. Next Steps and Links

From here, the X3100 M4 Proxmox node will be used for:

  • Kubernetes clusters built with kubeadm. -, CI/CD runners and infrastructure tests.
  • DNS, Traefik, and observability experiments.

Related resources:

Future tutorials will layer on top of this installation to cover Kubernetes, Traefik, DNS, monitoring, and CI/CD on this dedicated test environment.