Install Proxmox Backup Client on Debian 13

How to Install Proxmox Backup Client on Debian 13

The Proxmox Backup Client is a command-line tool that allows you to back up and restore data to a Proxmox Backup Server (PBS). It is particularly useful for integrating backup functionalities into scripts or for backing up virtual machines, containers, and host filesystems on non-Proxmox systems. This article provides a step-by-step guide to installing the Proxmox Backup Client on Debian 13 (Trixie), based on the official Proxmox documentation.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure the following:

• A running Debian 13 (Trixie) system.
• Root privileges (use sudo or switch to root user).
• Internet access to download packages.
• Basic familiarity with the terminal and APT package manager.

Note: While the instructions are tailored for Debian 13, they may work on other Debian versions with adjustments to the repository suite.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Download and Install the Proxmox Archive Key

To securely add the Proxmox repository, first download the archive keyring:

wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-archive-keyring-trixie.gpg -O /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

This key is used to verify the packages from the Proxmox repository.

Step 2: Verify the Key Integrity

To ensure the downloaded key is authentic, check its checksums:

SHA256: 136673be77aba35dcce385b28737689ad64fd785a797e57897589aed08db6e45

MD5: 77c8b1166d15ce8350102ab1bca2fcbf

You can verify using commands like:

sha256sum /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg md5sum /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

If the checksums match, proceed; otherwise, do not continue as the key may be compromised.

Step 3: Add the Proxmox Backup Client Repository

Create a new sources file for the repository:

nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pbs-client.sources

Add the following content:

Types: deb 
URIs: http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client 
Suites: trixie 
Components: main 
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/proxmox-archive-keyring.gpg

Save and exit the editor.

This configures APT to fetch packages from the Proxmox Backup Client repository specific to Debian Trixie.

Step 4: Update Package List and Install the Client

Update your system's package index:

apt update

Then install the Proxmox Backup Client:

apt install proxmox-backup-client

This command will download and install the proxmox-backup-client package along with any dependencies.

If you prefer a statically linked version (useful for environments without dependencies), install proxmox-backup-client-static instead. Note that it conflicts with the standard package.

Verification and Basic Usage

After installation, verify the client is installed by checking its version:

proxmox-backup-client version

Example output:

client version: 4.1.0 (or similar, depending on the latest release)

To use the client, you'll need access to a Proxmox Backup Server. A basic backup command example (assuming you have a PBS at backup-server.example.com with datastore mystore and user root@pam):

proxmox-backup-client backup root.pxar:/ --repository root@pam@backup-server.example.com:mystore

This backs up the root filesystem. Replace placeholders with your actual details. For more usage examples, refer to the official documentation.

Troubleshooting

If apt update fails with key errors, ensure the keyring is correctly placed and the sources file is properly formatted.

For dependency issues, check if your Debian installation is up-to-date: apt upgrade.

If using an older Debian version, adjust the Suites to match (e.g., bookworm for Debian 12).