Infrastructure on homelab

GPU Passthrough for Proxmox LXCs

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

GPU Passthrough for Proxmox LXCs#

What Was Established#

Intel GPU passthrough to Proxmox LXCs requires both host-side module loading and specific LXC device mounts.
vainfo frequently fails with X11/X server errors in headless containers; this is expected and does not indicate a broken passthrough.
intel_gpu_top requires i915 module loaded on the host and accessible debugfs/sysfs paths inside the container.

Key Decisions#

Headless VA-API Testing: When vainfo reports error: can't connect to X server!, set environment variables to bypass X11:
```
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/runtime-root
export LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=iHD
vainfo
```
Module Verification: lsmod | grep i915 confirms the driver is loaded inside the container. Presence of i915, drm_buddy, ttm, and drm_display_helper indicates successful module injection.
Device Access: intel_gpu_top failing with No device filter specified... typically points to missing debugfs mounts or host-side i915 parameters, not necessarily a broken /dev/dri/ passthrough.

Current Configuration#

Proxmox LXC Config (/etc/pve/lxc/<container-id>.conf):

Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts#

What Was Established#

SMB/CIFS shares can be integrated into Proxmox via CLI or the Web GUI.
GUI integration is recommended for Proxmox-native features (backups, ISOs, templates) and automatic retention management.
LXC containers can directly mount Proxmox storage paths using mp0/mp1 directives in the container config file.
Separate CIFS storages should be used for media vs. backups to maintain clean separation of concerns.

Key Decisions#

Storage Content Types: For media-only CIFS shares, select Container templates, ISO images, or Disk image. Explicitly avoid Containers and VZDump backup file to prevent Proxmox from treating the media share as a system storage.
Subdirectory Configuration: Leave the Proxmox storage subdirectory field blank to mount the root of the SMB share, enabling flexible navigation to specific subfolders (e.g., Documents/Movies).
Jellyfin Path Targeting: Point Jellyfin directly to the specific media subfolder (e.g., /media/synology/Documents/Movies) rather than the mount root.

Current Configuration#

LXC Config Path: /etc/pve/lxc/<CT-ID>.conf (e.g., /etc/pve/lxc/100.conf).
Mount Syntax: mp0: /mnt/pve/<Storage-ID>,mp=/media/<mount-name>

Permission Mapping (for unprivileged containers):

lxc.idmap: u 0 100000 65536
lxc.idmap: g 0 100000 65536
lxc.idmap: u 1000 1000 1
lxc.idmap: g 1000 1000 1
lxc.idmap: u 1001 101001 64535
lxc.idmap: g 1001 101001 64535

Jellyfin Setup: Dashboard → Libraries → Add Media Library → Folders: /media/synology/Documents/Movies.

Historical Notes#

Conversation date: 2025-11-07.
Focuses on resolving LXC mount visibility and permission issues for Jellyfin on a Synology NAS.
No major infrastructure changes flagged; patterns remain valid for Proxmox 8.x.

Open Questions#

None.

Sources#

ingested/chats/092-Mount NAS Storage to LXC Containers.md
ingested/chats/091-Mount Synology SMB to Proxmox Guide.md
ingested/chats/090-Mount SMB Share on Proxmox Guide.md
DeepSeek conversation: Mount NAS Storage to LXC Containers (2025-11-07)

Sources#

ingested/chats/092-Mount NAS Storage to LXC Containers.md
ingested/chats/091-Mount Synology SMB to Proxmox Guide.md
ingested/chats/090-Mount SMB Share on Proxmox Guide.md
Historical DeepSeek conversation: “Mount SMB Share on Proxmox Guide” (2025-11-07)

Proxmox Storage Management, Proxmox Systemd Mounts

Proxmox NVMe Partition Management

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox NVMe Partition Management#

What Was Established#

Advanced manual partitioning strategy for separating OS and VM/Container data on a single NVMe drive.
Recommended for test clusters where OS reinstalls are expected without risking data loss on the storage partition.
Uses sgdisk to create distinct partitions that Proxmox treats as independent storage targets.

Key Decisions#

Partition Layout: EFI (1GB), OS (~100GB), Data (remaining ~399GB).
Tooling: sgdisk for GPT partitioning, mkfs.ext4/mkfs.fat for formatting, manual mounting for data.
Storage Integration: Data partition mounted at /mnt/data and added as a Directory storage in Proxmox.

Current Configuration#

Target Hardware: 3x Laptops with 500GB NVMe drives.
Partition Scheme:
- /dev/nvme0n1p1: 1GB EFI System Partition (FAT32)
- /dev/nvme0n1p2: ~100GB Proxmox OS (ext4)
- /dev/nvme0n1p3: ~399GB VM/Container Data (ext4)
Post-Install Mount: Data partition mounted at /mnt/data and auto-mounted via /etc/fstab.

Historical Notes#

As of 2026-02-28, the user opted for the “complex” manual partitioning approach over the installer’s built-in LVM/ZFS options to ensure OS and data appear as totally separate drives.
This method requires dropping to a shell during installation and manually launching proxinstall.

Open Questions#

How does this partitioning scheme interact with future ZFS pool expansions if the laptops are clustered?
Are there specific sgdisk flags needed for NVMe drives in UEFI mode?

Proxmox Storage Management
Proxmox ZFS Storage & Installation Patterns
Proxmox ZFS Storage Setup

Sources#

ingested/chats/013-Set Up Proxmox with LVM and ZFS.md
DeepSeek conversation: Proxmox OS and Storage Separation Guide (2026-02-28)

Proxmox Storage Management

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox Storage Management#

title: Proxmox Storage Management version: 1.2 date: 2026-04-30 namespace: general wiki: homelab tags: [proxmox, storage, smb, cifs, zfs, backups] changes: Crystallized from historical DeepSeek conversation historical: true#

Proxmox Storage Management#

What Was Established#

SMB/CIFS shares can be integrated into Proxmox via CLI or the Web GUI.
GUI integration is recommended for Proxmox-native features (backups, ISOs, templates) and automatic retention management.
Local disk inspection (e.g., sda2) requires verifying mount status and filesystem type to avoid conflicts with active root partitions.

CLI Mounting (Persistent)#

Install utilities: apt update && apt install cifs-utils
Create credentials file: /etc/smb-credentials with chmod 600.
Add to /etc/fstab: //server/share /mnt/smb-share cifs credentials=/etc/smb-credentials,uid=0,gid=0,file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770,iocharset=utf8 0 0
Test mount: mount -a

GUI Mounting (Proxmox Native)#

Navigate to Datacenter → Storage → Add → SMB/CIFS.
Required Fields: ID, Server, Share, Username, Password.
Content Types (select based on use case):
- ISO images
- Container templates
- VZDump backup files
Advanced Options: Max Backups, Prune Backups, SMB Version (e.g., 3.0), Domain.
Verification: Green checkmark in Storage list indicates active status. Use “Test Connection” if available.

Local Disk Inspection#

Check status: lsblk, blkid /dev/sda2, mount | grep sda2.
Mount temporarily: mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2.
Inspect: ls -la /mnt/sda2, df -h, du -sh /mnt/sda2/*.
Note: sda2 is typically the root partition on Proxmox hosts; avoid modifying if already mounted at /.

Open Questions#

Specific purpose of sda2 on Isengard (192.168.1.69)? (Likely root, but verify with lsblk/blkid).
SMB share usage for LonelyMountain (192.168.1.137) backups vs ISOs? (GUI method preferred for VZDump retention).

Proxmox Systemd Mounts — systemd mount units for NAS shares Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts — LXC bind mounts and permission mapping Proxmox ZFS Storage & Installation Patterns Proxmox NVMe Partition Management TrueNAS (Vairë) - Storage & Backup Server

Proxmox Systemd Mounts

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox Systemd Mounts#

What Was Established#

SMB/CIFS shares can be integrated into Proxmox via CLI or the Web GUI.
GUI integration is recommended for Proxmox-native features (backups, ISOs, templates) and automatic retention management.
System-level mounts (e.g., at /media/synology) are distinct from Proxmox Storage and are used for general file operations accessible by the host OS.
Proxmox automatically mounts SMB shares under /mnt/pve/<storage_id> when configured via the GUI.

Key Decisions#

Maintain both a Proxmox Storage entry (for VM disks/backups) and a system-level mount (for general file access).
Extract credentials from /etc/pve/storage.cfg to avoid hardcoding passwords in multiple places.
Use pvesm status to verify existing storage mounts and avoid conflicts.

Current Configuration#

Synology NAS (LonelyMountain): 192.168.1.137
Proxmox Storage: Configured via Datacenter > Storage (SMB/CIFS) for VM-related content.
System Mount: Targeted at /media/synology for general file operations.

System-Level Mount Methods#

1. Extract Credentials & Create System Mount#

Check existing Proxmox storage: pvesm status
Extract server/share info from /etc/pve/storage.cfg

Create credentials file:

nano /root/.smbcredentials
# Add: username=your_username, password=your_password
chmod 600 /root/.smbcredentials

Add to /etc/fstab:

//192.168.1.137/share_name /media/synology cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,uid=0,gid=0,file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770,iocharset=utf8 0 0

Test: mount -a

2. Systemd Mount Unit (Recommended for robustness)#

Create /etc/systemd/system/media-synology.mount:

Proxmox VM Boot Troubleshooting

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox VM Boot Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Ubuntu VMs can hang during the boot process at apparmor.service (displayed as “staring apparmor.service - L:oad appArmor profiles…”).
In Proxmox, this specific hang was caused by an iGPU (…)

Coffee Lake iGPU Passthrough Freeze & Recovery#

Issue: Coffee Lake iGPU passthrough to an Ubuntu VM causes the Proxmox VM to freeze on boot.
Immediate Recovery Steps (run from Proxmox host console):
1. Stop the frozen VM: qm stop <VMID> --force or kill -9 <PID> via ps aux | grep qemu.
2. Remove iGPU from VM config: Edit /etc/pve/qemu-server/<VMID>.conf and remove hostpci lines and GPU-related args: lines.
3. Reset host iGPU state: Edit /etc/modprobe.d/pve-blacklist.conf and comment out blacklist i915.
4. Reboot host: update-initramfs -u -k all && reboot.
5. Verify host recovery: lspci | grep -i vga and lsmod | grep i915.
Proper Re-configuration Steps:
1. Enable IOMMU: Update /etc/default/grub with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet intel_iommu=on iommu=pt", then update-grub && reboot.
2. Verify IOMMU Groups: find /sys/kernel/iommu_groups/ -type l.
3. Add iGPU via UI: VM → Hardware → Add PCI Device → Select iGPU → Check “All Functions” & “PCI-Express” → DO NOT check “Primary GPU”.
Advanced/Alternative Configuration:
- GRUB Parameters: quiet intel_iommu=on iommu=pt pcie_acs_override=downstream,multifunction nofb nomodeset video=efifb:off
- Host Blacklist: echo "blacklist i915" >> /etc/modprobe.d/pve-blacklist.conf
- VM Config (args):
```
args: -device vfio-pci,host=00:02.0,addr=0x18,x-igd-gms=1,driver=vfio-pci
args: -device vfio-pci,host=00:02.1,addr=0x18.1,driver=vfio-pci
args: -global ICH9-LPC.acpi-pci-hotplug-with-bridge-support=off
args: -set device.vga.ramfb=off
args: -set device.vga.driver=vfio-pci
```
- VM Hardware Requirements: Machine q35, BIOS OVMF (UEFI), Display Default (not SPICE).
- Ubuntu VM Guest: Install Intel graphics drivers, add i915.enable_guc=2 to kernel parameters, ensure early KMS start.

Sources#

ingested/chats/103-Troubleshooting Coffee Lake iGPU Passthrough on Proxmox.md
ingested/chats/101-Troubleshooting Slow Ubuntu VM Boot.md

SSH Host Key Management & Troubleshooting

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

SSH Host Key Management & Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Standard procedures for resolving SSH REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED warnings, which occur when a host’s SSH fingerprint differs from the locally stored known_hosts entry. This typically happens after a server reinstall, OS upgrade, or SSH key regeneration.

Key Decisions & Commands#

Verify Legitimacy: Always confirm with a system administrator or check server logs if a key change is unexpected, as it could indicate a man-in-the-middle attack.
Remove Stale Keys: Use ssh-keygen -R <hostname> to safely remove the outdated entry from ~/.ssh/known_hosts.
Targeted Removal: If the error specifies a line number (e.g., line 9), you can remove it via sed -i '' '9d' ~/.ssh/known_hosts or manually edit the file.
Pre-populate Keys: In managed environments, use ssh-keyscan <host> >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts to automate key acceptance.
Security Best Practice: Prefer certificate-based authentication in sensitive environments to bypass host key checking entirely.

Current Configuration#

Host Encountered: proxy (192.168.1.222, Nginx Proxy Manager)
User Context: Commands executed from macOS (NK---Galadriel) as user natekelley.
Fingerprint Example: SHA256:k5j8V356rpQXapznIs12MeBEWHfZYwfeicXdNNWFyOI (ED25519)

Historical Notes#

Initial troubleshooting documented on 2025-11-17. The proxy host likely had its underlying VM/container rebuilt or its SSH configuration reset, triggering the warning.

Open Questions#

Should SSH host keys be version-controlled or managed via a configuration management tool (e.g., Ansible) to prevent future mismatches?

Sources#

ingested/chats/111-Check and Install Git, Go, Dart Sass on Ubuntu.md
ingested/chats/104-SSH Host Key Change Warning and Fix.md
Historical DeepSeek conversation: SSH Host Key Change Warning and Fix (2025-11-17)

Varda Server (Ubuntu)

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Varda Server (Ubuntu)#

Overview#

Varda is an Ubuntu Server VM at 192.168.1.131 used for web hosting and development. It serves as the primary host for the ilmare.nbkelley.com website.

Note: Varda is a different VM from servarr (192.168.1.112), which runs the media automation stack. These were previously conflated in some wiki pages.

Key Details#

Hypervisor: Proxmox (Minas Tirith)
Management: Cockpit GUI (Port 9090)
Web Server: Nginx for static content
Firewall: UFW enabled (ports 22, 80, 443)
Development: VS Code Remote-SSH

Nginx Site Structure#

/var/www/ilmare.nbkelley.com/
├── Assets/
│   └── Images/  (Case-sensitive: capital I)
├── html/
│   └── index.html
├── Scripts/
│   └── scripts.js
└── Styles/
    └── styles.css

Nginx Server Block#

/etc/nginx/sites-available/ilmare.nbkelley.com:

AI Infrastructure Overview

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI Infrastructure Overview#

What Was Established#

The homelab is transitioning into a multi-node agentic architecture, utilizing a mix of existing laptops, desktops, and a future Mac Studio to handle different tiers of LLM workloads (Batch vs. Interactive).

Key Decisions#

Nodes are specialized by their hardware capabilities (VRAM and CPU/RAM) to optimize for cost and performance:

Inference Node (Batch/Heavy + Embeddings): HP Pavilion 15t-e300 — hostname nk-celebrimbor, IP 192.168.2.192. Intel i7, 32GB RAM, NVIDIA MX550 (2GB VRAM, CUDA disabled). Runs gemma4:e4b for monitoring pipeline synthesis (~15-18 t/s, CPU-only) and nomic-embed-text for wiki semantic embeddings (768-dim, via Ollama on port 11434).
Orchestrator Node: Thinkpad T480. Intel i5/i7 8th Gen, 32GB RAM. Running headless Ubuntu. Hosts n8n and lightweight models (Gemma 4 E4B) for routing and decision-making.
Interactive Node (Potential): ROG Zephyrus (GU501). Intel i7, NVIDIA GTX 1080 Max-Q (8GB VRAM). Ideal for 7B/8B models requiring high tokens-per-second for real-time chat.
Primary Reasoning Node (Deployed 2026-04-24): Mac Studio M1 Max, 64GB Unified Memory — hostname Legolas, IP 192.168.1.45. Handles all wiki pipeline LLM calls: gemma4:e2b (text cleaning), qwen3.6:35b-a3b-coding-nvfp4 (JSON crystallization), minicpm-v:8b (PDF OCR/vision). Fast interactive inference — 31B models at ~25+ t/s vs Pavilion’s ~15 t/s CPU-only. See Mac Studio.
Parallelism Nodes: Various i5 8th Gen desktops. 32GB RAM, no GPU. Used for distributed pipeline stages or additional lightweight model instances.

Current Configuration#

Legolas (Mac Studio): Ollama at 192.168.1.45:11434. Running gemma4:e2b, qwen3.6:35b-a3b-coding-nvfp4, minicpm-v:8b for wiki pipeline. Deployed 2026-04-24.
nk-celebrimbor (Pavilion): headless Ubuntu, Ollama CPU-only (CUDA disabled — MX550 2GB VRAM too small). Running gemma4:e4b at ~15-18 t/s for hourly monitoring pipeline; nomic-embed-text for wiki embeddings.
T480: planned orchestrator role not yet active.

Ollama Configuration, Open WebUI Deployment, Mac Studio, Pavilion (AI PC) Configuration

Windows VM Installation Troubleshooting

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Windows VM Installation Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Troubleshooting guide for Windows installation when the local disk does not appear in the partitioning screen during setup.

Key Troubleshooting Steps#

Check disk detection in BIOS/UEFI — If the disk doesn’t appear in BIOS, it’s a hardware issue (loose cable, faulty drive, wrong SATA port).
Load storage drivers — Modern NVMe/RAID controllers may need drivers loaded during setup via Shift + F10 → “Load Driver”.

Node Exporter Deployment

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Node Exporter Deployment#

What Was Established#

node_exporter is used to expose system-level metrics (CPU, RAM, Disk, Network) from Linux hosts to the central Prometheus instance at 192.168.1.167.

Monitored Hosts#

Host	IP	Port	Prometheus job	VLAN
nk-celebrimbor (Pavilion)	192.168.2.192	9100	pavilion	mithrandir
wiki-llm	192.168.1.206	9100	wiki	gandalf

Installation#

Method A: apt (Ubuntu) — preferred for Ubuntu hosts#

sudo apt install prometheus-node-exporter
# Service auto-enabled; runs on port 9100

Method B: Manual binary (other distros)#

wget https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter/releases/download/v1.11.1/node_exporter-1.11.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xvf node_exporter-1.11.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo cp node_exporter-1.11.1.linux-amd64/node_exporter /usr/local/bin/

Create /etc/systemd/system/node_exporter.service:

Network Infrastructure & VLANs

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Network Infrastructure & VLANs#

What Was Established#

The network uses a UniFi UCG Express with a multi-VLAN setup. A recent incident involving a VPN expiry caused a routing failure on specific VLANs due to policy-based routing (PBR) without a fallback mechanism.

Key Decisions#

VLAN Segmentation:
- Gandalf: Server network (Always-on, stable, no VPN).
- Mithrandir (VLAN 2): Client/AI network. Traffic is routed through ProtonVPN via WireGuard.
- Harken (VLAN 3): General usage.
- Tharkûn (DMZ): Restricted zone (DMZ $\rightarrow$ Internal is Blocked).
- Rivendell (VLAN 4): Unused.
VPN Configuration: ProtonVPN WireGuard Client 1 is used for Mithrand/VLAN 2. Critical: Ensure “Block traffic if WireGuard is down” is enabled to prevent IP leaks.
IP Management: Use DHCP Reservations (Fixed IPs) in the UniFi Controller rather than configuring static IPs on individual hosts to prevent port-forward breakage during DHCP lease renewals.

Current Configuration#

Known Fixed IPs (DHCP Reservations):

Proxmox ZFS Storage Setup

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox ZFS Storage Setup#

What Was Established#

Procedures for initializing ZFS pools using multiple drives via the Proxmox Web GUI and configuring them as usable storage for Virtual Machines (VMs) and Linux Containers (LXC).

Key Decisions#

RAID Levels: Selection depends on the number of disks and redundancy requirements:
- Stripe (RAID 0): Maximum capacity, no redundancy.
- Mirror (RAID 1): Redundancy, 50% capacity loss.
- RAID-Z1/Z2: Requires 3+ disks for parity-based redundancy.
Compression: lz4 is the recommended compression algorithm for performance.
Ashift: Set to 12 for modern SSDs/NVMe to ensure proper block alignment.
Thin Provisioning: Enabled for storage pools to allow for flexible disk allocation.

Current Configuration#

1. Initialize ZFS Pools (Web GUI)#

Navigate to: Datacenter → Node → Disks → ZFS

Web Server Architecture on Proxmox

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Web Server Architecture on Proxmox#

What Was Established#

High-level architectural strategies for deploying web development environments on Proxmox, focusing on balancing isolation with resource efficiency.

Key Decisions#

LXC for Services: Use LXC containers for lightweight, single-purpose services (e.g., Nginx, Databases) to minimize overhead.
VM for Complex Workloads: Use full VMs when running Docker, Kubernetes, or when custom kernel modules are required.
Reverse Proxy Pattern: Always use a reverse proxy (Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik, or C/Caddy) to handle SSL termination and route traffic to multiple internal services.
Database Isolation: Separate databases into their own containers/VMs to improve security and facilitate independent backups.

Current Configuration#

Networking Patterns#

Bridge Mode: Default vmbr0 for services requiring LAN access.
Internal Network: Use secondary bridges (e.g., vmbr1) for isolated communication between web servers and databases.

Storage Patterns#

Local-LVM: Preferred for high-performance VM/container disks.
Directory Storage: Suitable for container volumes and simpler storage needs.

Historical Notes#

This architecture plan was established in March 2025. The preference for LXCs over VMs for simple web services was a primary driver.

Proxmox Network Troubleshooting

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox Network Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Troubleshooting steps for resolving connectivity loss to Proxmox nodes, specifically addressing IP conflicts and subnet mismatches.

Key Decisions#

Static IP Reservation: Proxmox nodes should always have a static IP (e.g., 192.168.0.69) that is excluded from the OPNsense DHCP pool.

Current Configuration#

Troubleshooting Workflow#

Verify Connectivity: ping 192.168.0.69.

Check Local Config: Log in via console and verify /etc/network/interfaces:

auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet static
    address 192.168.0.69/24
    gateway 192.168.0.1
    bridge-ports enp3s0

Check for IP Conflicts: Ensure no other device (via DHCP) has been assigned 192.168.0.69.
ARP Cache: Clear local ARP cache if IP conflicts are suspected: arp -d 192.168.0.69.

Historical Notes#

Identified an issue where a DHCP client was assigned 192.168.0.69, conflicting with the Proxmox static IP.

Proxmox Network Configuration

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox Network Configuration#

What Was Established#

Procedures for manually updating the IP address and network interface settings on a Proxmox VE host via the command line.

Key Decisions#

Network configuration is managed via the /etc/network/interfaces file. When changing network parameters, the Linux bridge (vmbr0) must be updated to point to the correct physical interface.

Current Configuration#

To modify the IP, gateway, or interface, edit the configuration file:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

Example of a static configuration for a bridge interface:

Proxmox ZFS Storage & Installation Patterns

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Proxmox ZFS Storage & Installation Patterns#

What Was Established#

Procedures for managing ZFS rpool on single-disk Proxmox installations, including methods for limiting pool size and troubleshooting import failures.

Key Decisions#

Single Disk Size Limitation: When installing Proxmox on a large disk but wanting to limit the ZFS pool to a specific size (e.g., 64GB) to leave room for other partitions, use the hdsize parameter in the Proxmox installer’s Advanced Options.
Custom Partitioning Method: For complex layouts, it is possible to manually partition a drive in Debian and then upgrade the system to Proxmox VE.

Current Configuration#

ZFS Pool Creation (Manual)#

To create a ZFS pool with specific optimizations (ashift=12, compression=lz4) and a size limit:

Troubleshooting Network Interface Changes

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Troubleshooting Network Interface Changes#

What Was Established#

When replacing a physical Network Interface Card (NIC)—for example, swapping a 2.5GbE card for a 1GbE card—the system will lose connectivity if the software configuration still references the old interface name.

Key Decisions#

Connectivity loss after a hardware swap is usually due to a mismatch in the bridge-ports setting within the network configuration. The new NIC will likely have a different kernel interface name (e.g., changing from enp0s1 to enp0s2).

Wi-Fi Performance Optimization (U7 Lite)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wi-Fi Performance Optimization (U7 Lite)#

What Was Established#

Diagnostic steps for addressing throughput discrepancies between wired (1 Gbps) and wireless (300 Mbps) connections on Wi-Fi 6/6E hardware.

Key Decisions#

Channel Width: For high-speed Wi-Fi 6/6E, utilize 80 MHz or 160 MHz channel widths on the 5 GHz/6 GHz bands.
Band Steering: Disable Band Steering if it causes frequent client roaming/drops.

Current Configuration#

Optimization Steps#

Verify Link Speed: Check client-side PHY rates (e.g., netsh wlan show interfaces on Windows) to ensure the client is connecting via 5 GHz/6 GHz.
AP Settings (Unifi/Ubiquiti):
- Mode: Set to HE (Wi-Fi 6) or EHT (Wi-Fi 7).
- Channel Width: Set to 80 MHz or 160 MHz.
- Minimum Data Rate: Set to 24 Mbps to disable legacy (802.11b/g) rates.
Client-Side: Disable Wi-Fi Power Saving mode on Linux clients:
```
iw dev wlan0 set power_save off
```

Historical Notes#

Addressed a specific case where a U7 Lite was capped at 300 Mbps due to potential client-side or channel width limitations.

Infrastructure on homelab

GPU Passthrough for Proxmox LXCs

GPU Passthrough for Proxmox LXCs#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions#

Current Configuration#

Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts

Proxmox LXC Storage Mounts#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions#

Current Configuration#

Historical Notes#

Open Questions#

Related Pages#

Sources#

Sources#

Related Pages#

Proxmox NVMe Partition Management

Proxmox NVMe Partition Management#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions#

Current Configuration#

Historical Notes#

Open Questions#

Related Pages#

Sources#

Proxmox Storage Management

Proxmox Storage Management#

title: Proxmox Storage Management version: 1.2 date: 2026-04-30 namespace: general wiki: homelab tags: [proxmox, storage, smb, cifs, zfs, backups] changes: Crystallized from historical DeepSeek conversation historical: true#

Proxmox Storage Management#

What Was Established#

CLI Mounting (Persistent)#

GUI Mounting (Proxmox Native)#

Local Disk Inspection#

Open Questions#

Related Pages#

Proxmox Systemd Mounts

Proxmox Systemd Mounts#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions#

Current Configuration#

System-Level Mount Methods#

1. Extract Credentials & Create System Mount#

2. Systemd Mount Unit (Recommended for robustness)#

Proxmox VM Boot Troubleshooting

Proxmox VM Boot Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Coffee Lake iGPU Passthrough Freeze & Recovery#

Sources#

SSH Host Key Management & Troubleshooting

SSH Host Key Management & Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions & Commands#

Current Configuration#

Historical Notes#

Open Questions#

Related Pages#

Sources#

Varda Server (Ubuntu)

Varda Server (Ubuntu)#

Overview#

Key Details#

Nginx Site Structure#

Nginx Server Block#

AI Infrastructure Overview

AI Infrastructure Overview#

What Was Established#

Key Decisions#

Current Configuration#

Related Pages#

Windows VM Installation Troubleshooting

Windows VM Installation Troubleshooting#

What Was Established#

Key Troubleshooting Steps#

Node Exporter Deployment

Node Exporter Deployment#

What Was Established#

Monitored Hosts#

Installation#

Method A: apt (Ubuntu) — preferred for Ubuntu hosts#