ZimaOS can be installed in a Proxmox virtual machine for testing, and a May 2025 IceWhale Community tutorial documented a straightforward method using UEFI firmware and USB passthrough. The original author created a normal VM, selected OVMF/UEFI, passed a USB installer through to the VM, placed that USB first in the boot order, and launched the ZimaOS installer from the Proxmox console.
This should be treated as a community testing workflow rather than a guarantee that every ZimaOS feature is officially supported under virtualization. Later community posts explicitly noted that ZimaOS is designed as a standalone operating system and that virtualized deployments can introduce nested-virtualization, device-passthrough, storage, and guest-agent limitations. In 2026, another user also reported difficulty reproducing the old Proxmox process with newer ZimaOS installers, so use the historical screenshots to understand the architecture rather than assuming every exact 2025 step is unchanged.
Step 1: Create the Proxmox VM with UEFI
The source tutorial's most important VM setting was the firmware type. During VM creation, select an OVMF/UEFI BIOS instead of SeaBIOS.
If the VM was already created with the wrong firmware, the original author said it could be changed from:
VM → Hardware → BIOS → OVMF (UEFI)The historical post said an EFI disk was not required for that exact test configuration. A newer third-party Proxmox-ZimaOS script now creates EFI storage in its manual workflow, so treat this as a version/tooling difference rather than a contradiction.
Example VM Definition from the Original Thread
CPU, memory, virtual disk size, and network settings can be adjusted to match the test workload. Do not use a tiny VM to judge storage, Docker, transcoding, or ZVM performance that will later run on real hardware.
Step 2: Use the Current ZimaOS Installer
The 2025 tutorial told readers to download the latest ZimaOS installer image.
The ZimaOS release and installer distribution model has changed since this 2025 thread. Avoid hard-coding the old 1.4.0 or 1.4.1 beta image names into a current workflow.
Step 3: Write the Installer to USB
The original author wrote the installer to a physical USB drive with Balena Etcher, then connected that USB device to the physical Proxmox host.
This method is simple because it reproduces a normal bare-metal installation path inside the VM. It does require a spare USB device and Proxmox USB passthrough.
Step 4: Pass the Installer USB Through to the VM
In Proxmox:
VM → Hardware → Add → USB DeviceSelect Use USB Port and choose the port containing the ZimaOS installer drive.
Step 5: Put the USB First in the Boot Order
Open:
VM → Options → Boot OrderEnable the passed-through USB device and move it above the VM's system disk.
Step 6: Start the VM and Run the Installer
Open the Proxmox Console and start the VM. The ZimaOS installer should appear. Install ZimaOS to the intended virtual disk, then remove or demote the installer media after the installation is complete.
The original author reported that ZimaOS 1.4.0 and 1.4.1-beta2 booted in this configuration while 1.4.1-beta1 did not. Those version-specific results are historical and should not be used to select a current release.
A Later Community Reply Linked a Proxmox Automation Script
In July 2025, another participant said they installed ZimaOS in Proxmox with a script. That link now points to the third-party R0GGER/proxmox-zimaos repository.
The repository currently supports both automatic and manual installation workflows. Its own documentation notes an important current limitation: ZimaOS distribution changed from directly published images toward installers, so the automated script may install an older base and then require an in-ZimaOS update.
The repository also contains a separate installation video, but that video was not embedded in the original IceWhale post, so it is kept as an external reference rather than migrated as source content.
Review Third-Party Installation Scripts Before Running Them
The community repository provides commands that download a shell script and execute it directly on the Proxmox node. This is convenient but gives the script administrative control over VM creation, storage, and networking.
Review the script source before executing it on a Proxmox host that contains important VMs or disks. A virtualization host is a high-impact system, and a wrong storage target can destroy data.
QEMU Guest Agent Is a Known Limitation on Stock ZimaOS
A later reply asked how to install qemu-guest-agent. Community member gelbuilding reported that stock ZimaOS is an immutable/locked-down system without a normal package-manager workflow for installing the guest agent.
They also tried running the agent in Docker, but the Proxmox virtio channel:
/dev/virtio-ports/org.qemu.guest_agent.0did not function correctly through the container in their test.
The source thread therefore does not provide a confirmed stock-ZimaOS QEMU Guest Agent solution. Do not promise normal guest-agent functionality simply because the VM itself boots.
Virtualized ZimaOS Is Useful for Testing, but Has Support Boundaries
Another ZimaOS community support reply in December 2025 stated that ZimaOS is designed as a standalone operating system and that virtual environments are not officially supported, although users have made Proxmox and VirtualBox work.
That means a Proxmox VM is excellent for:
- evaluating the WebUI;
- testing Docker applications;
- learning the storage interface;
- trying updates before moving a separate test system.
It is less representative for:
- direct disk management;
- USB passthrough;
- GPU passthrough;
- ZVM nested virtualization;
- hardware sleep and power management;
- QEMU guest-agent integration.
Windows 10 SMB Access Note from the Replies
A later user reported that Windows 11 and Linux Mint discovered the ZimaOS VM immediately, while Windows 10 required a manual network-drive mapping with Connect using different credentials.
This is a client SMB authentication detail, not a Proxmox networking requirement. If the ZimaOS WebUI works but Windows cannot mount a share, troubleshoot SMB credentials separately from the VM's basic network adapter.
ZimaOS on Proxmox Checklist
- Create a test VM with UEFI/OVMF firmware.
- Give it enough CPU, RAM, disk, and bridged networking for the workload you want to evaluate.
- Use the current ZimaOS installer rather than an old beta image from the 2025 post.
- For the original workflow, write the installer to USB and pass it through to the VM.
- Put the installer first in the boot order.
- Install to the virtual disk and then remove/demote installer media.
- Do not assume QEMU Guest Agent is available inside stock ZimaOS.
- Review third-party Proxmox scripts before executing them as root.
- Use a VM for testing, not as proof that all hardware-specific ZimaOS functions are officially supported.
ZimaOS Proxmox FAQ
Can ZimaOS run in Proxmox?
Yes, community users have run it successfully for testing. The source tutorial used UEFI and USB passthrough.
Is Proxmox an officially supported ZimaOS deployment?
Community support replies have described virtualized ZimaOS as unsupported even though Proxmox and VirtualBox can work. Treat it as a community/test deployment.
Do I need UEFI?
The original tutorial used OVMF/UEFI and identified it as the critical firmware setting.
Can I install qemu-guest-agent?
The source thread did not find a working stock-ZimaOS method. The immutable system and virtio-channel access were the reported blockers.
