Proxmox on Hetzner in 5 Minutes: ZFS RAID1 Single-Node Setup with Auto-Install Script

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This post covers a fast, reproducible installation of Proxmox VE on a Hetzner Dedicated Server as a single node with ZFS Mirror (RAID1) – without a KVM console, by booting the server into the rescue system and letting a script automate the installation. As an example, this guide uses a setup that works well with a Hetzner AX41-NVMe.

What You'll Get

• Freshly installed Proxmox VE (automated via ISO + auto-install)
• Root filesystem on ZFS (Mirror/RAID1)
• Typical Proxmox network setup:
  • vmbr0 = Public Bridge (IPv4/IPv6)
  • vmbr1 = Private Bridge with NAT/Masquerading (practical for internal networks/LXCs/VMs)
• Proxmox Web GUI accessible at https://<IP>:8006

Important Notes (Please Read)

• Warning: Data Loss. This installation is intended for fresh installs and will overwrite the system on the disks (typical reinstall behavior).
• This is a third-party script (ariadata/proxmox-hetzner). Read through it before running and only use it if you agree that it modifies system and network files as well as APT sources.
• Hetzner's network configuration is somewhat "special" (routing/gateway requirements). If you change things later, refer to Hetzner guidelines.

Prerequisites

• Hetzner Dedicated Server (Example: AX41-NVMe)
• Access to Hetzner Robot (or Hetzner Cloud Rescue, depending on product)
• SSH Client (Linux/macOS Terminal or Windows PowerShell/WSL)
• Optional: SSH key registered in Robot (more convenient for rescue)

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Activate Rescue System
• Step 2: Start Installation via Script
• Step 3: What the Script Does
• Step 4: Reboot & Login
• Quick Checks After Login
• Sources

Step 1: Activate Rescue System (Hetzner Robot)

1. In Hetzner Robot: Servers → select your server → Rescue
2. Select Linux / 64-bit (public key optional) and activate rescue
3. Then in the Reset tab, trigger a Hardware Reset
4. SSH into the rescue system as root (password is shown in Robot)

Step 2: Start Installation via Script

In the rescue system as root:

bash <(curl -sSL https://github.com/ariadata/proxmox-hetzner/raw/main/scripts/pve-install.sh)

The project describes the process as an automated installation without console (ISO is downloaded, auto-install configuration is created, ZFS RAID1 is set up, network IPv4/IPv6 is configured, hostname/FQDN etc.).

What the script interactively asks:

• Network interface (e.g., eno1)
• Hostname & FQDN
• Timezone & email
• Private subnet (for vmbr1/NAT)
• New root password

After confirmation, the automatic installation begins:

Step 3: What the Script Does Technically (Brief & Transparent)

So you know what's happening, here are the key components:

1) Proxmox ISO + Auto-Install

The script downloads a Proxmox VE ISO (automatically "latest") and creates an auto-install ISO via the Proxmox auto-install assistant.

2) ZFS Mirror (RAID1)

The auto-install answer file sets:

• filesystem = "zfs"
• zfs.raid = "raid1"
• Installation on two disks (as vda/vdb in the installer)

Proxmox has supported ZFS as a root option for years (no manual module building required).

3) Installation via QEMU in Rescue

The Proxmox installation is booted in a QEMU VM within the rescue system, installing directly to the server disks (virtually mapped as vda/vdb).

4) Network Setup in Proxmox (vmbr0/vmbr1)

After installation, the script briefly boots the freshly installed environment with SSH port forwarding, copies prepared template files over, and sets up:

• /etc/network/interfaces with
  • vmbr0 (Public Bridge, IPv4 + IPv6)
  • vmbr1 (Private Bridge) plus NAT/MASQUERADE iptables rules
• IP forwarding via sysctl (net.ipv4.ip_forward=1, net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1)

This is practical when you want to run VMs/LXCs "internally" first without immediately routing public IPs.

Step 4: Reboot – and Log into Proxmox

After completion, the script asks if it should reboot:

After that, your server boots into the installed Proxmox.

Access the web interface at:

• https://<your-server-ip>:8006

Login:

• User: root
• Password: the password you set (in the script/installer)

Quick Checks After Login

1. Check ZFS Pool (Shell on Node)

zpool status
zfs list

You should see a mirror pool (ZFS RAID1). The ZFS root setup is the core of this approach.

2. Check Network Bridges

• Datacenter → <Node> → System → Network

You should see vmbr0 and vmbr1 (Public/Private).

Optional: Next Steps

• Update system: apt update && apt dist-upgrade -y
• Update ISO index and load templates
• Remove subscription warning: Tutorial: Remove Proxmox Subscription Notice
• If you want to manually adjust Hetzner-specific network details (additional IPs/subnets/routing): Hetzner Community Tutorials are a good reference.

Sources

• Hetzner Docs: Rescue System
• Hetzner Community: Install Proxmox & Networking
• Proxmox Docs: Web GUI
• Proxmox Wiki: ZFS on Linux
• GitHub: ariadata/proxmox-hetzner

Further Guides

• Proxmox on Hetzner – Managed Service
• Proxmox Overview
• Proxmox Maintenance & Support
• Proxmox Backup Server
• Hetzner Expertise
• Proxmox Cluster Network on Hetzner

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