Remove the Proxmox Subscription Notice: Guide

Note on Proxmox repositories: Proxmox offers various package sources (repositories):

• Enterprise Repository: requires valid subscription, stable & recommended for productive use
• No-Subscription Repository: freely available, less thoroughly tested, ideal for home labs & test environments

You can use Proxmox in full even without a valid subscription - including the no-subscription repository. "Community" is the name of the paid entry-level Proxmox subscription, see prices in How much does Proxmox cost?. The following instructions only show how to remove the warning message in the web interface.

If Proxmox is used without a valid subscription, the familiar "No valid subscription " message appears when logging into the web interface. The Enterprise subscription is recommended for productive environments, but in home labs or test environments the warning is usually only annoying.

A minor procedure removes it; after an update of the proxmox-widget-toolkit package it returns and the change has to be repeated.

Important: Proxmox VE 8 has reached end of life

Support for Proxmox VE 8 ended in August 2026 according to the support lifecycle. Since then there are no security updates - not through the no-subscription repository either. The current release is Proxmox VE 9.2 (Debian 13 "Trixie", as of October 2026).

The repository section covers Proxmox VE 9 and 8; the paths differ. For systems still on 8.x: Upgrade Proxmox VE 8 to 9.

Table of Contents

• Why the subscription warning appears
• Enterprise repo vs. no-subscription repo
• Set up the no-subscription repository (PVE 9: Deb822, PVE 8: .list)
• Remove the subscription notice: patch proxmoxlib.js and verify
• Also for Proxmox Backup Server
• Is it legal and advisable for production?
• What you lose without a subscription
• Conclusion

Why the subscription warning appears

The message does not mean something is broken. Proxmox VE checks via its API at login whether a valid subscription key is configured on the node. If no key is present, the web interface shows the "No valid subscription" dialog on every sign-in.

Importantly, the notice is purely informational. It blocks no feature, no VM and no update - your cluster runs identically with or without a subscription. The only practical catch is that the default repository after installation is the enterprise repo, whose apt update fails with a 401 error without a key. That is why the warning typically shows up right after a fresh Proxmox installation.

Enterprise repo vs. no-subscription repo

Before hiding the warning, pick the right repository so that apt update runs cleanly. Proxmox VE offers three package sources:

• Enterprise Repository (pve-enterprise, https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/pve): especially well-tested, stable updates. Requires a valid subscription and is recommended for production systems.
• No-Subscription Repository (pve-no-subscription, http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve): free and fully functional. Its packages are less heavily validated and not recommended for production use.
• Test Repository (pve-test on PVE 9, pvetest on PVE 8): a preview of new features, for test systems only.

Functionally, both main sources install the same software. The difference is the level of testing and the timing of delivery. Without a subscription you use the no-subscription repo, disable the enterprise repo and thereby avoid the 401 error on update.

Set up the no-subscription repository (PVE 9: Deb822, PVE 8: .list)

The most convenient route is the web interface under Node → Updates → Repositories: select the enterprise line and click Disable, then Add and choose No-Subscription.

On the console the path depends on the version.

Proxmox VE 9 (Debian 13 "Trixie") uses the Deb822 format by default on fresh installations. The enterprise source lives at /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.sources; disable it by adding the line Enabled: no to the entry, and create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/proxmox.sources (file name per the Proxmox documentation):

Types: deb
URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve
Suites: trixie
Components: pve-no-subscription
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

Proxmox VE 8 (Debian 12 "Bookworm") typically uses the classic .list format. Comment out the enterprise line in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list and create a new source:

echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" \
  > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list

This variant only applies to systems still on 8.x - that branch has received no updates since August 2026, so an upgrade to 9 is overdue.

APT supports both file formats; upgraded systems may still have .list files. The PVE source supplements the Debian base repositories. Check any ceph.sources separately: without a subscription, Ceph needs the no-subscription component, retaining the existing Ceph release family. Changing repositories is not a Ceph version upgrade (repository documentation).

Then run apt update and check that there are no 401 or other repository errors.

Installing updates without a subscription: With the no-subscription repository, updates work as usual, via the web interface (Node → Updates) or on the console with apt update and apt full-upgrade. According to the Proxmox documentation, a plain apt upgrade can leave a partially upgraded package state, because Proxmox VE is a rolling release on top of Debian.

Checking the repository files: apt policy shows the active sources. After an upgrade from PVE 8 to 9 there should be no Bookworm entries and no duplicate entries (old .list next to new .sources), and apt update must complete without errors (upgrade guide). Old entries are removed or disabled with # (in .list files) or Enabled: no (in .sources files). The version change itself is covered in the guide Upgrade Proxmox VE 8 to 9.

“No Proxmox VE repository is enabled”: Under Node → Updates → Repositories, enable a PVE source matching the installed version: pve-no-subscription without a subscription or pve-enterprise with a valid key. A Debian or Ceph repository alone is insufficient. Check the suite and component in all active files as described above and reload the repository view after apt update. This message concerns the package source rather than the login dialog.

Remove the subscription notice: patch proxmoxlib.js and verify

The repository controls updates, but the login notice itself lives in the web toolkit's JavaScript file. You hide that call with two commands.

1. Create backup of the file & apply patch

sed -Ezi.bak "s/(Ext.Msg.show\(\{\s+title: gettext\('No valid sub)/void\(\{ \/\/\1/g" \
/usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js

This command comments out the point at which the message is generated. A backup file (.bak) is created automatically.

Check whether the patch applied: the search expression depends on the proxmox-widget-toolkit code, and that occasionally changes between releases. Compare the file against its backup:

diff /usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js \
     /usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js.bak

If diff prints nothing, the expression did not match - the notice will still be there after the restart. In that case search the file for No valid subscription and adjust the expression to the wording actually present.

Change repositories before applying the patch. On nodes without an active subscription, this patch also prevents the Add dialog under Node → Updates → Repositories from opening. Restore the unmodified toolkit file before making subsequent changes through this dialog. Reassess the patch and its side effects after toolkit updates.

2. Restart the Proxmox proxy

systemctl restart pveproxy.service

3. Update web interface

• Reload browser (best to clear cache / Ctrl+F5)
• Sign in again and check whether the dialog appears

Important: the patch does not survive an update of the proxmox-widget-toolkit package. As soon as it is upgraded, proxmoxlib.js is replaced and the message returns. Simply run the sed command again, or automate it with an APT hook under /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ so it runs after APT package installations.

Example APT hook

The APT documentation defines DPkg::Post-Invoke as a list of shell commands after a dpkg invocation. A separate script keeps nested quotes and backslashes out of the APT configuration. Create it as root:

cat > /usr/local/sbin/pve-subscription-notice-hook <<'SH'
#!/bin/sh
set -eu
f=/usr/share/javascript/proxmox-widget-toolkit/proxmoxlib.js
before=$(md5sum "$f")
sed -Ezi "s/(Ext.Msg.show\(\{\s+title: gettext\('No valid sub)/void\(\{ \/\/\1/g" "$f"
[ "$before" = "$(md5sum "$f")" ] || systemctl restart pveproxy.service
SH
chmod 0755 /usr/local/sbin/pve-subscription-notice-hook

File /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99-pve-subscription-notice:

DPkg::Post-Invoke {
  "/usr/local/sbin/pve-subscription-notice-hook";
};

The example reapplies the patch after every APT-dpkg invocation and restarts pveproxy only if the file changed; it does not guarantee that the search expression matches after toolkit updates. A failing hook makes APT exit with an error. The hook does not create its own .bak file, so the backup from the patch step stays untouched; keep a separate unmodified original copy. After updates, inspect the diff, sign-in and other toolkit actions such as adding a repository, because the dialog helper is shared with those actions (repository dialog). To disable it, remove the hook file under /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/.

Running in production? A subscription instead of the notice.

The subscription brings the enterprise repository and vendor support. WZ-IT sources it for you as a reseller (vendor price list, invoiced in euros). If you would rather not operate it yourself, add managed Proxmox.

Get a subscription through WZ-IT · See Managed Proxmox

Also for Proxmox Backup Server

PBS also shows a subscription notice at login without a valid key (PBS web interface). The package source is separate: the PBS documentation describes the following no-subscription repository for PBS 4 on Debian 13 Trixie, as of October 2026. First disable the enterprise source in pbs-enterprise.sources with Enabled: no, then add this to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/proxmox.sources:

Types: deb
URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs
Suites: trixie
Components: pbs-no-subscription
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

For PBS 3 on Debian 12 Bookworm, the suite is bookworm. Do not leave duplicate .list entries active. PBS 3 uses /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg; use that path in Signed-By for a Deb822 configuration (PBS 3 documentation). On PBS 3, disable the enterprise line in pbs-enterprise.list with #. Then run apt update. PBS recommends this repository for testing and non-production systems; the enterprise repository is intended for production. Changing repositories leaves the login notice unchanged. The PVE patch and systemctl restart pveproxy.service above apply to PVE; they do not constitute PBS patch instructions.

Is it legal and advisable for production?

Legally this is clear-cut: Proxmox VE is free software under the AGPLv3. Using the no-subscription repository and editing your local proxmoxlib.js on your own server is entirely permitted. You do not buy a subscription for the right to use the software, but for access to the tested enterprise repository and vendor support.

For home labs, learning and test environments the no-subscription repo is the obvious choice. For production, business-critical clusters we recommend a subscription: you get more thoroughly tested updates, a clear support path and therefore less risk with security-relevant patches. For a breakdown of licensing costs, see How much does Proxmox cost?; for the risks and an operating concept without a subscription, see Running Proxmox without a subscription.

What you lose without a subscription

Without a subscription you give up:

• The enterprise repository with especially stable, validated packages
• Official support from the Proxmox team, with response times depending on the tier
• The guarantee of a vetted update sequence for major releases

What you keep: the full feature set of Proxmox VE - VMs, LXC containers, clusters, high availability, backups and all storage options. That is exactly why removing the warning is uncritical in a home lab, while production requires a planned update and support process.

Conclusion

The JavaScript patch can hide the Subscription Notice in Proxmox. Check the change with diff and then sign in again. However, the Enterprise Repository is still recommended for productive environments. For home labs and tests, the No-Subscription Repository is the better choice - and is completely free to use.

Next step

Subscription or outsourced maintenance?

We plan, run and monitor virtualized infrastructure on Proxmox VE - on dedicated hardware, in the cloud or hybrid. Including patch management, backups and CVE monitoring.

Get a subscription through WZ-IT · See Managed Proxmox

Read next: VMware to Proxmox migration · Setting up Proxmox Backup Server · Private cloud for SMEs