Guide to setup proxmox homelab from scratch.

Prepare Proxmox 8 for Terraform 1.5.6

Setting up a Proxmox 8 environment to work seamlessly with Terraform 1.5.6 is like pairing a fine wine with gourmet cheese—each enhances the other’s best features. Proxmox 8 brings enhanced features and performance, while Terraform 1.5.6 offers improved stability and new functionalities. Here’s your guide to making this perfect pairing a reality.

Homelab series

1. Setup Proxmox

Create Terraform User

Why Do You Need a Separate User?

Creating a dedicated user for Terraform is essential for security. This user will have restricted permissions, ensuring that Terraform can only perform specific tasks, thereby minimizing security risks.

Steps to Create a User

• Log in to the Proxmox 8 web interface.
• Navigate to Datacenter -> Permissions -> Users.
• Click Add, fill in the username, password, and email for the Terraform user.

Create Terraform Group

Why a Group?

Creating a group for Terraform simplifies permission management. You can assign permissions to the group, and any user in that group will inherit those permissions.

Steps to Create a Group

• Navigate to Datacenter -> Permissions -> Groups.
• Click Add and name the group, e.g., terraform-group.

Create API Token for Terraform User

Why an API Token?

API tokens provide a secure way to authenticate the Terraform user. They can be easily revoked or regenerated.

• Steps to Create an API Token
• Navigate to Datacenter -> Permissions -> API Tokens.
• Click Add.
• Select the Terraform user and group.
• Set an expiration date for the token and click Create.

Assign Permissions to Terraform User

Why Assign Permissions?

Assigning permissions restricts what actions Terraform can perform, which is crucial for maintaining a secure environment.

Steps to Assign Permissions

• Navigate to Datacenter -> Permissions -> Add.
• Select the Terraform group or user.
• Choose the roles you want to assign, such as PVEVMAdmin for VM management.
• Add permissions to the storage used by the VMs you want to deploy.
• Click Add.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve prepared your Proxmox 8 environment to work smoothly with Terraform 1.5.6. You’ve created a dedicated user and group, secured access with an API token, and assigned the necessary permissions.