This document describes how to use the Dockerized Proxmox Auto Installer image to generate unattended Proxmox VE installation ISOs for multiple profiles (e.g., pve-1, pve-2).

Overview

The proxmox-auto-installer Docker image wraps the official proxmox-auto-install-assistant tool to convert a standard Proxmox VE ISO into an unattended-install ISO using profile-specific answer.toml files. By specifying a profile name, you can maintain multiple configurations and generate distinct custom ISOs in a reproducible manner.

Prerequisites

  • Docker installed (version 20.10+).
  • A Proxmox VE ISO (e.g., proxmox-ve_8.4-1.iso).
  • Profile directories each containing an answer.toml file.
  • Write permissions for the output directory.

Directory Structure

Scripts/
├── iso/
│   ├── proxmox-ve_8.4-1.iso       # Base ISO
│   └── output/                    # Generated ISOs
├── secrets/
│   ├── pve-1/
│   │   └── answer.toml            # Profile pve-1 settings
│   └── pve-2/
│       └── answer.toml            # Profile pve-2 settings
├── Dockerfile                     # Build definition
└── entrypoint.sh                  # Profile-aware entrypoint

Building the Docker Image

Run the following command from the directory containing the Dockerfile and entrypoint.sh:

docker build -t proxmox-auto-installer .
  • -t proxmox-auto-installer tags the image for easy reference.
  • Ensure entrypoint.sh has executable permissions (chmod +x entrypoint.sh).

Running the ISO Build

5.1. Single Profile

To generate an ISO for a single profile (e.g., pve-1):

docker run --rm \
  -v /home/rohan/Documents/Scripts/iso:/iso:ro \
  -v /home/rohan/Documents/Scripts/secrets:/answers:ro \
  -v /home/rohan/Documents/Scripts/iso/output:/out \
  proxmox-auto-installer:latest \
    /iso/proxmox-ve_8.4-1.iso \
    pve-1
  • /iso/...: read-only mount of base ISO directory
  • /answers/...: profile directory mount containing answer.toml
  • /out/...: writeable output directory

5.2. Multiple Profiles

Repeat the command for each profile:

for profile in pve-1 pve-2; do
  docker run --rm \
    -v $PWD/iso:/iso:ro \
    -v $PWD/secrets:/answers:ro \
    -v $PWD/iso/output:/out \
    proxmox-auto-installer:latest \
    /iso/proxmox-ve_8.4-1.iso $profile
done

Generated Output

After each run, you will find:

iso/output/proxmox-ve_8.4-1-auto-pve-1.iso
iso/output/proxmox-ve_8.4-1-auto-pve-2.iso

Each ISO is labeled with its profile name.

Troubleshooting

  • Missing answer file: Ensure secrets/<profile>/answer.toml exists and is readable.
  • Permission denied: Verify Docker has permissions to read ISO and write output.
  • proxmox-auto-install-assistant errors: Run interactively to inspect logs.

Cleanup

To remove the Docker image:

docker rmi proxmox-auto-installer

To clear old ISOs:

rm iso/output/*

FAQ

Q: Can I use a different ISO version?
A: Yes, replace the ISO filename in the run command.

Q: How do I add a new profile?
A: Create a directory under secrets/ (e.g., pve-3/answer.toml) and rerun.

Q: Can I customize the Dockerfile?
A: Yes, adjust the base image or additional dependencies as needed.