Proxmox Commands Cheat Sheet (2025) | Essential Proxmox CLI Commands

Managing Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) through the command line can significantly speed up administration tasks, especially when working with multiple nodes or large clusters.
This Proxmox command cheat sheet provides the most commonly used CLI commands for:

Node management
VM and container operations
Storage administration
Networking configuration
Cluster control
Backup & restore
System maintenance

Proxmox Node Commands (Proxmox Commands Cheat Sheet):

This Proxmox commands cheat sheet provides the most essential Proxmox CLI commands for system administrators working with Proxmox VE.

Display Node Status:
```
pveversion
```
Check Node Resources:
```
pvesh get /nodes/<node>/status
```
List Virtual Machines:
```
qm list
```

Start/Stop/Shutdown a VM:

qm start <vmid> qm stop <vmid> qm shutdown <vmid>

Create a Virtual Machine:

qm create <vmid> --name <vm_name> --memory <memory_size> --net0 virtio,bridge=vmbr0 --cores <cpu_cores> --sockets <cpu_sockets> --virtio0 local:<storage_id>:<vm_size>

Show VM Configuration:
```
qm config <vmid>
```
Delete a Virtual Machine:
```
qm destroy <vmid>
```

Clone a Virtual Machine:

qm clone <source_vmid> <new_vmid> --name <new_vm_name>

Snapshot a Virtual Machine:
```
qm snapshot <vmid> <snapshot_name>
```
Restore VM from Snapshot:
```
qm rollback <vmid> <snapshot_name>
```

Storage Commands:

List Storage:
```
pvesh get /storage
```
Show Storage Configuration:
```
pvesh get /storage/<storage_id>
```

Create Storage:

pvesh create /storage --storage <storage_id> --type <storage_type> --content <content_type> --path <storage_path>

Remove Storage:
```
pvesh delete /storage/<storage_id>
```

Networking Commands:

List Network Interfaces:
```
ifconfig -a
```
List Bridges:
```
brctl show
```
List Firewall Rules:
```
iptables -L -n
```
Configure Network:
```
nano /etc/network/interfaces
```

Cluster Commands:

Display Cluster Status:
```
pvecm status
```
Join a Node to the Cluster:
```
pvecm add <node_ip_or_hostname>
```
Remove a Node from the Cluster:
```
pvecm delnode <node_id>
```
Show Quorum Status:
```
pvecm quorum
```
Display CIB (Cluster Information Base):
```
corosync-cmapctl
```

Maintenance Commands:

Update Proxmox VE:
```
apt update apt dist-upgrade
```
Reboot Node:
```
reboot
```
Check for Updates:
```
pveupdate check
```

Backup VM:

vzdump <vmid> --compress <backup_type> --storage <storage_id>

Restore VM from Backup:
```
vzrestore <backup_file> <new_vmid>
```

These commands should help you perform various tasks and manage your Proxmox environment from the command line. Adjust the parameters based on your specific configurations and requirements.

Final Thoughts

Using the Proxmox CLI offers:

✅ faster management
✅ automation possibilities
✅ better control in large environments
✅ easier troubleshooting

This cheat sheet helps system administrators perform daily tasks more efficiently.

Proxmox Commands – cheat sheet

Proxmox Node Commands (Proxmox Commands Cheat Sheet):

Display Node Status:

Check Node Resources:

List Virtual Machines:

Start/Stop/Shutdown a VM:

Create a Virtual Machine:

Show VM Configuration:

Delete a Virtual Machine:

Clone a Virtual Machine:

Snapshot a Virtual Machine:

Restore VM from Snapshot:

Storage Commands:

List Storage:

Show Storage Configuration:

Create Storage:

Remove Storage:

Networking Commands:

List Network Interfaces:

List Bridges:

List Firewall Rules:

Configure Network:

Cluster Commands:

Display Cluster Status:

Join a Node to the Cluster:

Remove a Node from the Cluster:

Show Quorum Status:

Display CIB (Cluster Information Base):

Maintenance Commands:

Update Proxmox VE:

Reboot Node:

Check for Updates:

Backup VM:

Restore VM from Backup:

Final Thoughts

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