Proxmox Virtualizer

Proxmox is an increasingly popular virtualization software. This document describes how to install Blocks as a virtual machine under Proxmox.

1. Find the desired ISO image from https://cdimage.debian.org/ and copy its URL
2. Select Server View
3. Click "local" storage item
4. Click "ISO Images"
5. Click "Download from URL"
6. Past the URL copied in the first step above
7. Click "Download"
8. Wait for the image to download

Unless you already have a suitable pool configured

1. Select Server View
2. Select Datacenter in the list
3. Select Pools
4. Click Create
5. Enter the name "Blocks"

You must use VM, not CT

1. Click the blue "Create VM" button at the top of the window
2. Select the desired "Resource Pool"
3. Name your VM

1. Click Next
2. Select the desired OS image
3. Click Next
4. Change nothing under System, just click Next
5. Change nothing under Disks, just click Next
6. Under CPU, set Cores to 2 or more, click Next

1. Under Memory, set at least 2048 MiB, click Next
2. Change nothing under Network, just click Next
3. Click Finish at the last step

Make sure your Proxmox box is connected to the Internet to download software.

1. In the Server View list, select your newly created VM
2. Click "Console" to open its console window
3. Click "Start Now"

1. Once the installer screen appears, select "Graphical Install"
2. Select desired Installer language (e.g., English)
3. Select your location
4. Select your desired locale (e.g., "en_US.UTF-8")
5. Select your keyboard layout
6. Enter the desired hostname, e.g. debian-blocks
7. Enter your domain name, or make something up if you don't have one
8. Enter your desired root password
9. Enter a user name, such as your own name. Do not use the name "blocks" here, as that will be added later.
10. Enter the password for this user
11. When asked to "Partition disks" select "Guided - use entire disk"
12. Select the (typically single) disk
13. Select "All files in one partition"
14. Click Continue to "Finish partitioning"
15. Select "Yes" and click "Continue"
16. Wait for the installation to finish

1. Do not select "extra installation media"
2. Select Yes to use a "network mirror"
3. Select your country and a mirror close to you
4. Do not enter a "HTTP proxy" unless you know you need one
5. Select as desired when asked to "Participate in the package usage survey"
6. When asked to choose software to install, select only SSH server, resulting in a minimal OS, accessible over SSH
7. Select "Yes" to "Install the GRUB boot loader"
8. Select your single drive for the boot loader (typically "/dev/sda")
9. Click Continue when asked to reboot

1. At the "login:" prompt, type root.
2. Type the password you chose while installing the OS

Enter the following command to edit the list of repositories

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

1. Type a # sign at the beginning of the line containing "cdrom"
2. Press Ctrl-O followed by the Enter key to save the file
3. Press Ctrl-X to exit the editor
4. Type the following command to install the sudo utility

apt install sudo

While logged in as root, follow the instructions under Install Blocks

1. Start with the command sudo apt update
2. Proceed with the remaining commands
3. Once installation stops and says "DONE!", give this command to set a password for the user under which blocks is run: passwd blocks
4. Enter the desired password for this user
5. Obtain the IP address of your Blocks server by typing ip a
6. Make a note of the IP address shown for the en-something interface

1. Plug your USB license key to a USB port on the VM host computer
2. Select "Hardware" in the list for your VM
3. Select "Add" and chose USB Device

In the dialog box, select "Use USB Vendor/Device ID"

1. Select WIBU-SYSTEMS AG CodeMeter-Stick"
2. Click Add

Transfer the license file to the blocks user's home directory using a command like this:

scp <your-local-license-file> blocks@<ip-of-your-server>:~

After logging in as the blocks user (see below), run the following command to install the license:

 cmu --import --file <license-file-name>

1. Return to the Console view
2. Follow the instructions under "Enable the server, start now and on boot"
3. Log in as the blocks user directly in the Console or
4. Connect as the blocks user over SSH from another computer

ssh blocks@<ip-address.-of-blocks-server>

Verify that your license has been connected

cmu -l

1. Make sure your license's serial number appears
2. Enable and start Blocks using this command

systemctl --user enable --now blocks