Re: [pve-devel] [PATCH docs 2/7] installation: prepare medium: revise subchapter

["Shannon Sterz" <s.sterz@proxmox.com>]

On Tue Mar 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM CET, Alexander Zeidler wrote:
> * Consistently use "medium" (singular), as only one is needed for
>   installation (filename "pve-installation-media.adoc" not renamed)
>
> * Revise the introduction:
> ** Remove CD-ROM (too little storage space) but keep DVD
> ** Copy to it the installer attributes from subchapter "Using the {pve}
>    Installer" (will get removed there in a follow-up patch)
> ** Rephrase slightly
>
> * Revise "Prepare a USB Flash Drive as Installation Medium":
> ** Update minimum required flash drive storage space to 2 GB
> ** Mention explicitly that data get overwritten on installation media
> ** Rearrange the two admonitions according their importance and for
> better reading flow
>
> * Revise "Instructions for GNU/Linux":
> ** Rearrange the steps so that they correspond to the actual sequence
> ** Mention the likely required root privilege
> ** Use `cp` instead of `dd`, as it is used in the Debian docs nowadays
> [0], the difference in speed appears to be negligible, and for beginners
> it is also less complex and easier to understand/type
>
> [0] https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/amd64/ch04s03.en.html
>
> * Revise "Instructions for macOS", warn about overwriting the wrong disk
> * Slightly rephrase "Instructions for Windows"
> * Revise the wiki-only section "Boot your Server from the USB Flash
>   Drive" and point to possible boot problems
> * Add the `diskutil eject` command to safely unplug the USB device
>
> Signed-off-by: Alexander Zeidler <a.zeidler@proxmox.com>
> ---
>  pve-installation-media.adoc | 127 +++++++++++++++++++++++-------------
>  pve-installation.adoc       |   2 +-
>  2 files changed, 83 insertions(+), 46 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/pve-installation-media.adoc b/pve-installation-media.adoc
> index a1c9402..1a18ea6 100644
> --- a/pve-installation-media.adoc
> +++ b/pve-installation-media.adoc
> @@ -1,74 +1,97 @@
>  [[installation_prepare_media]]
> -Prepare Installation Media
> +Prepare Installation Medium
>  --------------------------
>  ifdef::wiki[]
>  :pve-toplevel:
>  endif::wiki[]
>
> -Download the installer ISO image from: {website}en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso
> +To boot the recommended interactive installer, start by downloading
> +the latest installer ISO from:
>
> -The {pve} installation media is a hybrid ISO image. It works in two ways:
> +{website}en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso
>
> -* An ISO image file ready to burn to a CD or DVD.
> +It includes the following:
>
> -* A raw sector (IMG) image file ready to copy to a USB flash drive (USB stick).
> +* Complete operating system (Debian GNU/Linux, 64-bit)
> +
> +* {pve} Linux kernel with KVM and LXC support
> +
> +* Complete toolset for administering virtual machines, containers,

this should be "administrating", administering is equivalent to
"verabreichen" in German, not "verwalten"

> +the host system, clusters and all necessary resources
> +
> +* Web-based management interface
> +
> +Since the installer ISO is a hybrid image, it can be written directly
> +to a USB flash drive (USB stick) or a DVD. Using a USB flash drive is
> +the recommended way since it is the faster and more frequently

i'd say "more easily available" is the more common phrasing

> +available option these days.
>
> -Using a USB flash drive to install {pve} is the recommended way because it is
> -the faster option.
>
>  Prepare a USB Flash Drive as Installation Medium
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -The flash drive needs to have at least 1 GB of storage available.
> +The flash drive needs to have at least 2 GB of storage space.
>
> -NOTE: Do not use UNetbootin. It does not work with the {pve} installation image.
> +IMPORTANT: Existing data on the USB flash drive will be overwritten.
> +Therefore, make sure that it does not contain any still needed data

i feel like the original phrasing here was neater, "still needed data"
reads very... German. maybe, "any data that is still needed"

> +and unmount it afterwards again before proceeding.
>
> -IMPORTANT: Make sure that the USB flash drive is not mounted and does not
> -contain any important data.
> +NOTE: Using 'UNetbootin' may not work with the Proxmox installer ISO.
> +Use instead one of the described methods below.

Use one of the methods described below instead.

>
>
>  Instructions for GNU/Linux
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -On Unix-like operating system use the `dd` command to copy the ISO image to the
> -USB flash drive. First find the correct device name of the USB flash drive (see
> -below). Then run the `dd` command.
> +On Unix-like operating systems, the USB flash drive can usually be
> +prepared as follows and requires `root` privileges.
>
> -----
> -# dd bs=1M conv=fdatasync if=./proxmox-ve_*.iso of=/dev/XYZ
> -----
> +Find the Correct USB Device Name
> +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> -NOTE: Be sure to replace /dev/XYZ with the correct device name and adapt the
> -input filename ('if') path.
> +There are two ways to find out the current name (e.g., `sdX`) of the
> +USB flash drive. The first one is to compare the last lines of the
> +`dmesg` command output before and after plugging in the flash drive.
> +The second way is to compare the output of the `lsblk` command:
>
> -CAUTION: Be very careful, and do not overwrite the wrong disk!
> +Detach the flash drive, then open a terminal and run:
>
> +----
> +# lsblk
> +----
>
> -Find the Correct USB Device Name
> -^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> -There are two ways to find out the name of the USB flash drive. The first one is
> -to compare the last lines of the `dmesg` command output before and after
> -plugging in the flash drive. The second way is to compare the output of the
> -`lsblk` command. Open a terminal and run:
> +Now plug in your USB flash drive and run the command again:
>
>  ----
>  # lsblk
>  ----
>
> -Then plug in your USB flash drive and run the command again:
> +A new device (e.g., `sdX`) appeared. This is the one you want to use
> +in the next step. To be on the extra safe side, check if the reported
> +size matches your USB flash drive.
> +
> +Write Data to USB Device
> +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> +
> +CAUTION: Be especially careful with the `cp` command, as overwriting
> +the wrong disk will lead to permanent data loss!
> +
> +Adapt the two paths, so that the downloaded ISO file is copied to the
> +identified whole-disk device (e.g. `sdX`, not a partition like
> +`sdX1`).
>
>  ----
> -# lsblk
> +# cp /home/user/Downloads/proxmox-ve_*.iso /dev/sdX
>  ----
>
> -A new device will appear. This is the one you want to use. To be on the extra
> -safe side check if the reported size matches your USB flash drive.
> +Finally, run `sync` and wait until the command finished. The USB
> +device can now be unplugged.

hm is this really preferable to the `dd` command?

>
>
>  Instructions for macOS
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -Open the terminal (query Terminal in Spotlight).
> +Open the terminal (query 'Terminal' in Spotlight).
>
>  Convert the `.iso` file to `.dmg` format using the convert option of `hdiutil`,
>  for example:
> @@ -77,31 +100,40 @@ for example:
>  # hdiutil convert proxmox-ve_*.iso -format UDRW -o proxmox-ve_*.dmg
>  ----
>
> -TIP: macOS tends to automatically add '.dmg' to the output file name.
> +TIP: macOS tends to automatically add `.dmg` to the output file name.
>
> -To get the current list of devices run the command:
> +While the USB flash drive is detached, run the following command to
> +get the current list of devices:
>
>  ----
>  # diskutil list
>  ----
>
>  Now insert the USB flash drive and run this command again to determine which
> -device node has been assigned to it. (e.g., /dev/diskX).
> +device node has been assigned to it (e.g., /dev/diskX).
>
>  ----
>  # diskutil list
>  # diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX
>  ----
>
> -NOTE: replace X with the disk number from the last command.
> +CAUTION: Be especially careful with the next command, as overwriting
> +the wrong disk will lead to permanent data loss!
> +
> +Before writing data to disk with the `dd` command, replace the `X` of
> +`rdiskX` with the previously determined disk number.
>
>  ----
>  # sudo dd if=proxmox-ve_*.dmg bs=1M of=/dev/rdiskX
>  ----
>
> -NOTE: 'rdiskX', instead of 'diskX', in the last command is intended. It will
> +NOTE: Using `rdiskX` instead of `diskX` is intended, as it will
>  increase the write speed.
>
> +Finally, run `diskutil eject /dev/diskX` so that you can safely unplug
> +the USB device.
> +
> +
>  Instructions for Windows
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> @@ -116,17 +148,22 @@ Using Rufus
>
>  Rufus is a more lightweight alternative, but you need to use the *DD mode* to
>  make it work. Download Rufus from https://rufus.ie/. Either install it or use
> -the portable version. Select the destination drive and the {pve} ISO file.
> +the portable version. Select the destination drive and the downloaded
> +{pve} ISO file.
>
> -IMPORTANT: Once you 'Start' you have to click 'No' on the dialog asking to
> -download a different version of GRUB. In the next dialog select the 'DD' mode.
> +IMPORTANT: Once you click 'Start', you have to click 'No' on the
> +dialog asking to download a different version of GRUB. In the next
> +dialog, select the mode 'DD Image'.
>
> -ifdef::wiki[]
> -Boot your Server from the USB Flash Drive
> -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -Connect the USB flash drive to your server and make sure that booting from USB
> -is enabled (check your servers firmware settings). Then follow the steps in the
> -xref:chapter_installation[installation wizard].
> +ifdef::wiki[]
> +Boot from the Installation Medium
> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> +
> +Insert the created USB flash drive (or DVD) into your server and make
> +sure that booting from it is enabled in the server's firmware
> +settings. Then start using the
> +xref:chapter_installation[interactive installer], possible boot
> +problems are also described there.
>
>  endif::wiki[]
> diff --git a/pve-installation.adoc b/pve-installation.adoc
> index 223bb71..d320cfc 100644
> --- a/pve-installation.adoc
> +++ b/pve-installation.adoc
> @@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ https://www.youtube.com/proxmoxve[{pve} YouTube Channel]
>  See Also
>  --------
>
> -* link:/wiki/Prepare_Installation_Media[Prepare Installation Media]
> +* link:/wiki/Prepare_Installation_Media[Prepare Installation Medium]
>
>  * link:/wiki/Install_Proxmox_VE_on_Debian_12_Bookworm[Install Proxmox VE on Debian 12 Bookworm]
>



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