Date: March 2026
Project: Lab Foundation
Category: Build Log
Skills Demonstrated: Hypervisor installation, VM creation, basic Linux administration
The Problem
I wanted to learn enterprise IT infrastructure — Active Directory, network monitoring, log management, security testing. But enterprise hardware costs thousands of dollars and cloud labs charge by the hour.
The answer: virtualization. One physical computer running Proxmox can host a dozen virtual machines, each acting as its own server.
What You Need
- Any x86_64 computer with 8+ GB of RAM (I started with a refurbished i5 desktop — $100)
- A USB drive (8 GB+) for the installer
- A network cable
- 30 minutes
Step by Step
1. Download Proxmox VE
Go to proxmox.com/en/downloads and grab the latest ISO. Flash it to a USB drive using Rufus (Windows) or dd (Linux/Mac).
2. Install
Boot from the USB. The installer is straightforward:
– Accept the license
– Select the target disk (this will erase it)
– Set your country and timezone
– Choose a hostname (e.g., pve1.local) and a static IP on your network
– Set a root password
Installation takes about 5 minutes. Reboot, remove the USB.
3. Access the Web UI
Open a browser and go to https://YOUR-IP:8006. Log in as root with the password you set. You now have a hypervisor.
4. Upload an ISO
Go to your local storage → ISO Images → Upload. Grab a Debian or Rocky Linux ISO — these are free and lightweight.
5. Create Your First VM
Click “Create VM”:
– Name: test-vm
– ISO: select the one you uploaded
– Disk: 20 GB is plenty to start
– CPU: 2 cores
– RAM: 2 GB
– Network: leave defaults (bridge mode)
Click “Finish” and start the VM. Open the console. You’re installing Linux inside a virtual machine running on your old PC.
What Went Wrong
On my first install, I chose a disk that still had an old Windows partition table. Proxmox installed fine but the LVM thin pool was tiny. Lesson: use a clean disk, or wipe the partition table first with wipefs -a /dev/sdX from a live USB.
The Result
One $100 computer now runs as many servers as I need. My current cluster has three nodes and seven VMs — but it all started with one.
What I Learned
- Proxmox is free and installs in minutes
- Virtualization makes hardware constraints almost irrelevant
- Snapshots mean you can experiment fearlessly — break it, roll back, try again
- The web UI is good enough for everything; CLI is there when you need it
Try It Yourself
Minimum: Any PC with 8 GB RAM, USB drive, 30 minutes
Recommended: 16+ GB RAM for running multiple VMs comfortably
Cost: $0 (software) + whatever you spend on hardware
Built with Claude Code. Lab documented at rpc-cyberflight.com.