Proxmox Full

Proxmox VE - Full Management

Complete control over Proxmox VE hypervisor via REST API.

Setup

export PVE_URL="https://192.168.1.10:8006"
export PVE_TOKEN="user@pam!tokenid=secret-uuid"

Create API token: Datacenter → Permissions → API Tokens → Add (uncheck Privilege Separation)

Auth Header

AUTH="Authorization: PVEAPIToken=$PVE_TOKEN"

---

Cluster & Nodes

Cluster status
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/cluster/status" | jq

List nodes
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes" | jq '.data[] | {node, status, cpu: (.cpu*100|round), mem_pct: (.mem/.maxmem*100|round)}'

Node details
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/status" | jq

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List VMs & Containers

All VMs on node
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu" | jq '.data[] | {vmid, name, status}'

All LXC on node
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/lxc" | jq '.data[] | {vmid, name, status}'

Cluster-wide (all VMs + LXC)
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/cluster/resources?type=vm" | jq '.data[] | {node, type, vmid, name, status}'

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VM/Container Control

Start
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/start"

Stop (immediate)
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/stop"

Shutdown (graceful)
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/shutdown"

Reboot
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/reboot"

For LXC: replace /qemu/ with /lxc/

---

Create LXC Container

Get next available VMID
NEWID=$(curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/cluster/nextid" | jq -r '.data')

Create container
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/lxc" \
  -d "vmid=$NEWID" \
  -d "hostname=my-container" \
  -d "ostemplate=local:vztmpl/debian-12-standard_12.2-1_amd64.tar.zst" \
  -d "storage=local-lvm" \
  -d "rootfs=local-lvm:8" \
  -d "memory=1024" \
  -d "swap=512" \
  -d "cores=2" \
  -d "net0=name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,ip=dhcp" \
  -d "password=changeme123" \
  -d "start=1"

LXC Parameters:

| Param | Example | Description |

|-------|---------|-------------|

| vmid | 200 | Container ID |

| hostname | myct | Container hostname |

| ostemplate | local:vztmpl/debian-12-... | Template path |

| storage | local-lvm | Storage for rootfs |

| rootfs | local-lvm:8 | Root disk (8GB) |

| memory | 1024 | RAM in MB |

| swap | 512 | Swap in MB |

| cores | 2 | CPU cores |

| net0 | name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,ip=dhcp | Network config |

| password | secret | Root password |

| ssh-public-keys | ssh-rsa ... | SSH keys (URL encoded) |

| unprivileged | 1 | Unprivileged container |

| start | 1 | Start after creation |

---

Create VM

Get next VMID
NEWID=$(curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/cluster/nextid" | jq -r '.data')

Create VM
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu" \
  -d "vmid=$NEWID" \
  -d "name=my-vm" \
  -d "memory=2048" \
  -d "cores=2" \
  -d "sockets=1" \
  -d "cpu=host" \
  -d "net0=virtio,bridge=vmbr0" \
  -d "scsi0=local-lvm:32" \
  -d "scsihw=virtio-scsi-pci" \
  -d "ide2=local:iso/ubuntu-22.04.iso,media=cdrom" \
  -d "boot=order=scsi0;ide2;net0" \
  -d "ostype=l26"

VM Parameters:

| Param | Example | Description |

|-------|---------|-------------|

| vmid | 100 | VM ID |

| name | myvm | VM name |

| memory | 2048 | RAM in MB |

| cores | 2 | CPU cores per socket |

| sockets | 1 | CPU sockets |

| cpu | host | CPU type |

| net0 | virtio,bridge=vmbr0 | Network |

| scsi0 | local-lvm:32 | Disk (32GB) |

| ide2 | local:iso/file.iso,media=cdrom | ISO |

| ostype | l26 (Linux), win11 | OS type |

| boot | order=scsi0;ide2 | Boot order |

---

Clone VM/Container

Clone VM
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/clone" \
  -d "newid=201" \
  -d "name=cloned-vm" \
  -d "full=1" \
  -d "storage=local-lvm"

Clone LXC
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/lxc/{vmid}/clone" \
  -d "newid=202" \
  -d "hostname=cloned-ct" \
  -d "full=1" \
  -d "storage=local-lvm"

Clone Parameters:

| Param | Description |

|-------|-------------|

| newid | New VMID |

| name/hostname | New name |

| full | 1=full clone, 0=linked clone |

| storage | Target storage |

| target | Target node (for migration) |

---

Convert to Template

Convert VM to template
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/template"

Convert LXC to template
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/lxc/{vmid}/template"

---

Snapshots

List snapshots
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/snapshot" | jq '.data[] | {name, description}'

Create snapshot
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/snapshot" \
  -d "snapname=before-update" \
  -d "description=Snapshot before system update"

Rollback
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/snapshot/{snapname}/rollback"

Delete snapshot
curl -sk -X DELETE -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/snapshot/{snapname}"

---

Backups

Start backup
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/vzdump" \
  -d "vmid={vmid}" \
  -d "storage=local" \
  -d "mode=snapshot" \
  -d "compress=zstd"

List backups
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/storage/{storage}/content?content=backup" | jq

Restore backup
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu" \
  -d "vmid=300" \
  -d "archive=local:backup/vzdump-qemu-100-2024_01_01-12_00_00.vma.zst" \
  -d "storage=local-lvm"

---

Storage & Templates

List storage
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/storage" | jq '.data[] | {storage, type, avail, used}'

List available templates
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/storage/local/content?content=vztmpl" | jq '.data[] | .volid'

List ISOs
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/storage/local/content?content=iso" | jq '.data[] | .volid'

Download template
curl -sk -X POST -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/aplinfo" \
  -d "storage=local" \
  -d "template=debian-12-standard_12.2-1_amd64.tar.zst"

---

Tasks

Recent tasks
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/tasks?limit=10" | jq '.data[] | {upid, type, status}'

Task status
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/tasks/{upid}/status" | jq

Task log
curl -sk -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/tasks/{upid}/log" | jq -r '.data[].t'

---

Delete VM/Container

Delete VM (must be stopped)
curl -sk -X DELETE -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}"

Delete LXC
curl -sk -X DELETE -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/lxc/{vmid}"

Force delete (purge)
curl -sk -X DELETE -H "$AUTH" "$PVE_URL/api2/json/nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}?purge=1&destroy-unreferenced-disks=1"

---

Quick Reference

| Action | Endpoint | Method |

|--------|----------|--------|

| List nodes | /nodes | GET |

| List VMs | /nodes/{node}/qemu | GET |

| List LXC | /nodes/{node}/lxc | GET |

| Create VM | /nodes/{node}/qemu | POST |

| Create LXC | /nodes/{node}/lxc | POST |

| Clone | /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/clone | POST |

| Start | /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/start | POST |

| Stop | /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/stop | POST |

| Snapshot | /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/snapshot | POST |

| Delete | /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid} | DELETE |

| Next ID | /cluster/nextid | GET |

Notes

• -Use -k for self-signed certs
• -API tokens don't need CSRF
• -Replace {node} with node name (e.g., pve)
• -Replace {vmid} with VM/container ID
• -Use qemu for VMs, lxc for containers
• -All create/clone operations return task UPID for tracking