---
title: "Runbook: Onboard a Proxmox Node"
type: runbook
tags:
  - proxmox
aliases: []
related:
  - [[ct-runbook]]
  - [[headscale-onboard-node]]
  - [[proxmox-create-ubuntu-vm]]
  - [[edge2-access-reference]]
  - [[expose-service-home]]
updated: 2026-06-18
---
# Runbook: Onboard a Proxmox Node

You install Proxmox. You give CC an IP and a root password. CC does the rest.

---

## Current Cluster

| Alias    | Local IP        | Tailscale IP    |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| data     | 192.168.1.240   | 100.64.0.6     |
| utility  | 192.168.1.241   | 100.64.0.5     |
| cloud    | 192.168.1.242   | 100.64.0.4     |
| media    | 192.168.1.243   | 100.64.0.3     |
| toc      | 192.168.1.244   | 100.64.0.13     |

Management host: **cortex**

---

## Inputs

```
NODE_IP=                # e.g. 192.168.1.244
NODE_ALIAS=             # e.g. storage (lowercase, no dots)
ROOT_PASS=              # root password for initial key copy
```

---

## Phase 1: SSH Access

Nothing works without this.

```bash
# Ensure sshpass is installed
which sshpass || sudo apt install -y sshpass

# Test access immediately
sshpass -p "$ROOT_PASS" ssh \
  -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new \
  -o IdentitiesOnly=yes \
  -o PreferredAuthentications=password \
  root@$NODE_IP 'hostname'
```

### Gate

Must return the hostname. **Stop if this fails.**

### Add host alias

```bash
# Ensure ~/.ssh/config has global defaults (idempotent)
grep -q "IdentitiesOnly yes" ~/.ssh/config 2>/dev/null || cat >> ~/.ssh/config << 'EOF'

Host *
    IdentitiesOnly yes
    StrictHostKeyChecking accept-new
    ConnectTimeout 10
    ServerAliveInterval 30
    ServerAliveCountMax 3
EOF

# Add alias (idempotent)
grep -q "Host $NODE_ALIAS$" ~/.ssh/config 2>/dev/null || cat >> ~/.ssh/config << EOF

Host $NODE_ALIAS
    HostName $NODE_IP
    User root
EOF
```

### Optional: Set up key auth

Eliminates the need for sshpass on every command to this node.

```bash
ls ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 || ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "cortex" -N "" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

sshpass -p "$ROOT_PASS" ssh-copy-id \
  -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new \
  -o IdentitiesOnly=yes \
  -o PreferredAuthentications=password \
  root@$NODE_IP

# Verify key auth works (no password)
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'hostname'
```

### How CC connects for the rest of this runbook

If key auth is set up:
```bash
ssh $NODE_ALIAS '<command>'
```

If not:
```bash
sshpass -p "$ROOT_PASS" ssh $NODE_ALIAS '<command>'
```

---

## Phase 2: Base Configuration

```bash
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'apt update && apt dist-upgrade -y'
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'timedatectl set-timezone America/Boise'
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'timedatectl status | grep -i sync'

# Disable enterprise repo
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'sed -i "s/^deb/# deb/" /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list 2>/dev/null; true'

# Add no-subscription repo
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'grep -q "pve-no-subscription" /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list 2>/dev/null || \
  echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pve bookworm pve-no-subscription" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-no-subscription.list'
```

---

## Phase 3: Tailscale

```bash
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh'
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'tailscale up --login-server=https://<HEADSCALE_URL> --auth-key=<PREAUTH_KEY>'

# Get Tailscale IP and add alias
TSIP=$(ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'tailscale ip -4')
echo "Tailscale IP: $TSIP"

grep -q "Host ts-$NODE_ALIAS$" ~/.ssh/config 2>/dev/null || cat >> ~/.ssh/config << EOF

Host ts-$NODE_ALIAS
    HostName $TSIP
    User root
EOF

ssh ts-$NODE_ALIAS 'hostname'
```

---

## Phase 4: Verify Cluster Membership

You join the node to the cluster. CC verifies it's there.

```bash
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pvecm status 2>/dev/null | grep "Cluster Member"'
ssh data 'pvecm nodes'
```

If not in the cluster yet, **stop and tell the user**. Do not run `pvecm add`.

---

## Phase 5: Verify

```bash
# Authentik SSO (syncs via cluster)
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pveum realm list | grep authentik'

# Storage
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pvesm status'
ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'lsblk && echo "---" && vgs && lvs'
```

---

## Phase 6: Update Inventory

Add to CLAUDE.md cluster table:
```
| <NODE_ALIAS> | <NODE_IP> | <TSIP> |
```

Update any hardcoded node lists:
- proxmox-audit.sh (NODES array)
- Monitoring/backup targets

---

## Final Verification

Every line must say OK.

```bash
echo "=== $NODE_ALIAS ==="
echo -n "SSH (local):     "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'echo OK' 2>&1
echo -n "SSH (tailscale): "; ssh ts-$NODE_ALIAS 'echo OK' 2>&1
echo -n "Cluster:         "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pvecm status 2>/dev/null | grep -q "Cluster Member: Yes" && echo OK || echo FAIL'
echo -n "Tailscale:       "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'tailscale status --self >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo OK || echo FAIL'
echo -n "OIDC realm:      "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pveum realm list 2>/dev/null | grep -q authentik && echo OK || echo FAIL'
echo -n "Storage:         "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pvesm status >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo OK || echo FAIL'
echo -n "PVE version:     "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'pveversion'
echo -n "Time sync:       "; ssh $NODE_ALIAS 'timedatectl show -p NTPSynchronized --value'
```

---

## Troubleshooting

**"Too many authentication failures"**
`IdentitiesOnly yes` missing from `Host *` in `~/.ssh/config`.

**sshpass "Permission denied"**
Add `-o PreferredAuthentications=password -o IdentitiesOnly=yes`.

**Cluster join corosync errors**
Check `/etc/hosts` on all nodes includes the new hostname and IP.

**[[authentik]] realm missing**
Check `systemctl status pve-cluster`. Realm syncs via pmxcfs in `/etc/pve/domains.cfg`.

**Can't migrate VMs to node**
Storage mismatch. Compare `pvesm status` on both nodes.
