ZimaCube + Proxmox Setup Guide: Turn It Into an All-in-One Virtualization Server

With its solid hardware foundation—6-core x86 processor, 64GB DDR5 memory, six drive bays plus four NVMe slots, and dual PCIe slots—ZimaCube is clearly built for more than just NAS duties. Once Proxmox VE is installed, it can become a true home server: running virtual machines, managing containers, enabling GPU passthrough, and even handling your whole-home network.

This guide walks you through the process of turning ZimaCube into a Proxmox virtualization host from scratch.

Who this guide is for: This guide is best suited for users who have already spent some time with ZimaOS or TrueNAS and want to explore virtualization, software routers, and Windows/Linux virtual machines. If you are new to NAS, we recommend starting with ZimaOS first.

Step 1: Preparation

Before you begin, prepare the following:

• A USB flash drive, 4GB or larger, for creating the Proxmox installation drive
• A monitor and keyboard, temporarily connected to ZimaCube during installation
• The Proxmox VE ISO: download the latest version from proxmox.com, preferably version 8.x
• Etcher or Rufus for creating the bootable USB drive
• An Ethernet cable connected to ZimaCube’s 2.5GbE port, ensuring it can obtain an IP address via DHCP

Important reminder: Installing Proxmox will erase the system drive on ZimaCube. If you have important data stored in ZimaOS, back it up before proceeding.

Step 2: BIOS Settings

ZimaCube comes with a comprehensive BIOS. Before installing Proxmox, it is recommended to adjust several key settings:

1. Power on the device and press Del to enter the BIOS.
2. Go to Boot → Secure Boot → Disable. Proxmox installation media usually requires Secure Boot to be disabled.
3. Go to Advanced → CPU Configuration → VT-d / VT-x → Enable. Virtualization must be enabled.
4. Go to Chipset → IOMMU → Enable. This is required if you plan to use PCIe passthrough for virtual machines.
5. Save the settings and exit.

Step 3: Install Proxmox VE

Insert the USB drive, power on the device, and press F11 to select the USB drive as the boot device. Once the Proxmox installer appears:

1. Select Install Proxmox VE using the graphical installer.
2. Accept the license agreement.
3. Choose the target drive. It is recommended to select the motherboard-connected NVMe drive, the one capable of full-speed performance up to around 3,500 MB/s. If the factory-installed 256GB system drive is already occupied, install a new NVMe SSD in an available motherboard NVMe slot.
4. Set the country and time zone, for example, United States.
5. Set the root password and email address. The email address will be used for backup and system notifications.
6. Configure the network:
   • Management IP: choose a static IP address, such as 10.0.128.1
   • Gateway: your router’s IP address, such as 10.0.0.1
   • DNS: 10.0.0.1 or your router’s IP address
7. Confirm the installation and wait for it to complete.
8. Remove the USB drive and reboot.

After rebooting, the screen will display the Proxmox access address:

https://your-ip-address:8006

Log in with the username root and the password you configured during installation.

Step 4: Initial Configuration

After logging in to the Proxmox web interface, complete these three basic tasks first.

4.1 Disable the Subscription Pop-Up

The enterprise repository requires a paid subscription. For personal use, switch to the free community repository:

SSH into ZimaCube, or use Shell in the Proxmox web interface

sed -i 's|^deb https://enterprise.proxmox.com|# &|' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list

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

apt update && apt upgrade -y

4.2 Configure Storage

This is the most important step. Go to Datacenter → Storage and configure the storage structure as follows:

Recommendation: Use six HDDs to create a RAID-Z2 pool, which allows up to two drives to fail.

Example command:

Check your drive identifiers with lsblk first.

The following example assumes the drives are sda through sdf.

zpool create -o ashift=12 tank raidz2 /dev/sda /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd /dev/sde /dev/sdf

zfs set compression=lz4 tank

Then add this ZFS pool as storage in the Proxmox web interface.

Step 5: Create Your First LXC Container

An LXC container is lighter than Docker because it does not require an additional daemon, and it is faster than a full virtual machine because it shares the host kernel. It can also be backed up directly through Proxmox, making it suitable for most self-hosted services.

1. Download a template: Go to Datacenter → local Storage → CT Templates → Templates, search for debian-12, and download it.
2. Create a container: Click Create CT in the upper-right corner and configure it as follows:
   • CT ID: 100
   • Hostname: docker-host
   • Password: set a root password
   • Template: select the downloaded debian-12 template
   • Disk: 20GB, stored on local-zfs
   • CPU: 2 cores
   • Memory: 2048MB
   • Network: DHCP
3. Start the container, enter the console, and install Docker:

   apt update && apt install -y curl

   curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Step 6: Create Your First VM

1. Upload an ISO image: Go to Datacenter → local Storage → ISO Images → Upload, then upload an ISO file such as Ubuntu Server.
2. Create a VM: Click Create VM in the upper-right corner and configure it as follows:
   • VM ID: 200
   • Name: ubuntu-test
   • ISO: select the uploaded ISO image
   • Disk: 32GB, stored on local-zfs
   • CPU: 2 cores
   • Memory: 4096MB
   • Network: bridge to vmbr0
3. Start the VM and complete the operating system installation through the console.

Advanced Use Cases

Virtualizing Synology DSM

You can run a Synology ARC Loader VM in Proxmox, pass the six HDDs through to it, and use Synology’s mature storage management and Cloud Sync features. The virtual machine can then mount the storage back to the Proxmox host through NFS, creating a closed-loop storage workflow.

Software Router With OPNsense

Pass one of ZimaCube’s 2.5GbE ports through to an OPNsense VM as the WAN port, and use the other port as LAN. This allows all home network traffic to be routed through your ZimaCube.

GPU Passthrough for Plex Transcoding

Install a low-profile GPU, such as a GTX 1650 LP, and pass it through to a Plex or Jellyfin LXC container to enable hardware-accelerated 4K transcoding.

When Should You Not Install Proxmox?

Proxmox is powerful, but it is not necessary for everyone.

• If you only need NAS file sharing and Docker, staying with ZimaOS is enough.
• If the device runs 24/7 for family use and network downtime is not acceptable, keep ZimaOS running for better stability.
• If you are just getting started with NAS and Linux, use ZimaOS for a few months before moving to Proxmox.

The real value of Proxmox appears when you need one machine to serve as three.