# Bootstrapping

How to get Proxmox and TrueNAS running from zero.

# Installing Proxmox

This page walks through setting up Proxmox, preparing it for TrueNAS and recovering all VMs.

### Install Proxmox

#### Prepare the installation media

1. Install Rufus: [https://rufus.ie/en/](https://rufus.ie/en/)
2. Download the latest version of Proxmox (google "proxmox iso")
3. Grab a USB drive of about 32GB or larger.
4. Use Rufus to flash the Proxmox ISO to the USB drive.

#### Install Proxmox

Generally, just follow the questions on screen. **When asked what drive to install to, select the smallest one.** The system usually has multiple harddrives and multiple SSDs, but the boot SSD should be the odd one out.

### Configuring Proxmox

#### Networking

What we will be setting up is **two** bridge networks. One is `vmbr0`,

# Preparing Proxmox for TrueNAS

### Introduction

This page walks through setting up networking in preparation for TrueNAS.

### Prerequisites

Your setup before is expected to be:

- The machine is physically connected to some form of upstream internet;
- The only network bridge that currently exists is the default `vmbr0`.

### Steps

#### Creating the inter-VM network bridge

To allow virtual machines to communicate safely, we will be creating a new bridge `vmbr1`. VMs that require direct communication with each other with no additional routing in between them will use this bridge to talk to each other.

1. Select your Proxmox node.
2. Go to **System > Network**
3. Click **Create > Linux Bridge**:[![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/0a9uWa0NipzCGj67-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/0a9uWa0NipzCGj67-image.png)
4. A popup should appear. Fill it out like so: [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/BppU21D3sA7KhcFP-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/BppU21D3sA7KhcFP-image.png)  
    *The IPv4 we set here is the address at which the Proxmox node itself will be reachable on this bridge. If left empty, it will not be reachable by VMs.*
5. Click **Create**.
6. Apply the changes:  
    [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/1XmAsJbTuLqOAl4Q-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/1XmAsJbTuLqOAl4Q-image.png)

The inter-VM network bridge is now created, and Proxmox itself is reachable on the bridge via the address `192.168.255.10`.

<p class="callout success">You are now ready to install TrueNAS.</p>

# Installing TrueNAS

## Installing TrueNAS  


Lots of writing :(

## Networking

Assuming you have [created the inter-VM bridge network `vmbr1`](https://wiki.joris.me/books/titan-proxmox-truenas-scale-node/page/preparing-proxmox-for-truenas "Preparing Proxmox for TrueNAS"), we can now connect it to TrueNAS.

#### Connect TrueNAS to the newly created bridge

<p class="callout info">This step **requires** that you have installed TrueNAS Scale in a VM.</p>

1. Select your TrueNAS VM
2. Go to Hardware
3. Click **Add**
4. Select **Network Device:**  
    [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/5AGIvJUjSzOgmBTC-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/5AGIvJUjSzOgmBTC-image.png)
5. Select the newly created `vmbr1` and click **Add**:  
    [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/FxLnubTUakIreegR-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/FxLnubTUakIreegR-image.png)

#### Viewing TrueNAS network configuration

1. Open the TrueNAS web UI using whatever IP address TrueNAS is reachable at.
2. Navigate to **Networking**. It should look roughly like this:[![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/ihctIhdWHrPVtFLj-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/ihctIhdWHrPVtFLj-image.png)

Primarily, you will now see **two** interfaces. Most likely, **only one** of them will have an IP address assigned already. This is the *WAN*, or the "where TrueNAS gets internet" interface.

The second interface however will probably not have any IP address. This is the `vmbr1` inter-VM bridge network we created.

#### Configuring the bridge interface

<p class="callout danger">Make **absolutely** **sure** you do **not** modify the primary network interface, as doing so may make the machine unreachable via network.</p>

Configure the inter-VM bridge to **not** use DHCP, and instead manually assign the IP `192.168.255.20`:

[![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/XOCcbY5YlkT6jhPA-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/XOCcbY5YlkT6jhPA-image.png)

Save the settings, click \[Test Configuration\] and then \[Save Configuration\].

### Summary

- We installed TrueNAS Scale in a VM;
- We connected TrueNAS to our dedicated network bridge `vmbr1` that will let Proxmox access TrueNAS directly.

<p class="callout success">Good work!</p>

# Networking TrueNAS

Assuming you have [created the inter-VM bridge network `vmbr1`](https://wiki.joris.me/books/titan-proxmox-truenas-scale-node/page/preparing-proxmox-for-truenas "Preparing Proxmox for TrueNAS"), we can now connect it to TrueNAS.

### Connect TrueNAS to the newly created bridge

<p class="callout info">This step **requires** that you have installed TrueNAS Scale in a VM.</p>

1. Select your TrueNAS VM
2. Go to Hardware
3. Click **Add**
4. Select **Network Device:**  
    [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/5AGIvJUjSzOgmBTC-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/5AGIvJUjSzOgmBTC-image.png)
5. Select the newly created `vmbr1` and click **Add**:  
    [![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/FxLnubTUakIreegR-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/FxLnubTUakIreegR-image.png)

#### Viewing TrueNAS network configuration

1. Open the TrueNAS web UI using whatever IP address TrueNAS is reachable at.
2. Navigate to **Networking**. It should look roughly like this:[![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/ihctIhdWHrPVtFLj-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/ihctIhdWHrPVtFLj-image.png)

Primarily, you will now see **two** interfaces. Most likely, **only one** of them will have an IP address assigned already. This is the *WAN*, or the "where TrueNAS gets internet" interface.

The second interface however will probably not have any IP address. This is the `vmbr1` inter-VM bridge network we created.

#### Configuring the bridge interface

<p class="callout danger">Make **absolutely** **sure** you do **not** modify the primary network interface, as doing so may make the machine unreachable via network.</p>

Configure the inter-VM bridge to **not** use DHCP, and instead manually assign the IP `192.168.255.20`:

[![image.png](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/scaled-1680-/XOCcbY5YlkT6jhPA-image.png)](https://wiki.joris.me/uploads/images/gallery/2024-06/XOCcbY5YlkT6jhPA-image.png)

Save the settings, click \[Test Configuration\] and then \[Save Configuration\].

### Summary

- We installed TrueNAS Scale in a VM;
- We connected TrueNAS to our dedicated network bridge `vmbr1` that will let Proxmox access TrueNAS directly.

<p class="callout success">Good work!</p>