Proxmox-Public-Scripts: Proxmox VE VM Management Script

A powerful, interactive Bash script designed to automate and streamline common virtual machine (VM) management tasks on a Proxmox VE host. This tool is built for sysadmins and power users who need to perform bulk operations safely and efficiently without navigating the web UI for every change.

Warning

Note: This script is under active development. While I use it in my own environment without issues, it may still contain bugs. Please use it at your own risk. I highly encourage you to open a GitHub Issue for any feature requests or bug reports!

🚀 Quick Start: Run It Anywhere

Execute the script directly on your Proxmox VE node with this single command for an interactive session.

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/speedrapide10/Proxmox-Public-Scripts/main/Proxmox_VE_VM_Management_Script.sh | bash

Security Warning: Always exercise caution when running scripts from the internet directly with sudo. It is highly recommended to review the code before execution to ensure it meets your security standards.

✨ Key Features

This script is more than just a simple automation tool; it's an interactive "multi-tool" for managing your existing virtual environment.

• 🖥️ Interactive & Non-Interactive Modes: Run the script with a full, user-friendly menu system, or pass VM IDs directly as command-line arguments for faster execution.

• 🎯 Selective VM Processing: Choose exactly which VMs to manage from a clean, numbered list. Or, with a single press of [Enter], run the operation on all VMs at once.

• ⚙️ Multi-Operation Support:

  • Machine Type Conversion: Switch between i440fx and q35 machine types, with an option to use the "Latest" available version or specify one manually.

  • CPU Model Conversion: Easily change CPU models between common versions like x86-64-v2-AES and x86-64-v3.

  • SPICE/VGA Memory Management: Set a custom graphics memory value or revert it to the Proxmox default by directly editing the VM's configuration file.

• 📸 Advanced Snapshot Control: After a successful configuration change, the script asks once for your desired snapshot action for the entire batch:

  1. Create a new, timestamped snapshot.

  2. Replace the last snapshot (delete and recreate with the same name/description).

  3. Do nothing and skip the snapshot step.

• 🛡️ Safety First:

  • Smart Shutdown: VMs are only shut down if the script determines a change is actually required, saving time and unnecessary reboots.

  • Global & Per-VM Confirmation: Approve changes for all VMs at once, or step through and confirm each one individually for granular control.

  • Dry Run Mode: Simulate any operation without making actual changes to see what the script would do.

  • Failure Summary: At the end of the run, you get a clear, color-coded summary of any operations that failed, making it easy to troubleshoot.

• 📜 Optional Logging: All actions can be logged to a timestamped file in /tmp for auditing and review.

📋 Requirements

• Proxmox VE: Tested and confirmed working on version 8.4.8.

• Root Access: The script must be run as the root user or with sudo privileges to access VM configuration files and execute qm commands.

• Bash: The script is written for the Bash shell, which is standard on Proxmox VE.

🕹️ Usage Guide

Interactive Mode

This is the most common way to use the script. It provides a full menu-driven experience.

1. Run the script using the curl | bash command.

2. Select VMs: You will be presented with a numbered list of all VMs on your host, complete with their current configuration.

   [INFO] Available VMs on this host:
   ------------------------------------------------------------------
     [1] - VM 101 (ubuntu-server) | Machine: q35, CPU: x86-64-v3, VGA: qxl
     [2] - VM 102 (win11-dev)     | Machine: pc-i440fx-8.1, CPU: host, VGA: virtio,memory=64
     [3] - VM 103 (debian-test)   | Machine: i440fx (default), CPU: kvm64 (default), VGA: default
   ------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   [INFO] Enter the numbers of the VMs you want to process, separated by spaces.
   Or press [Enter] to process all VMs: 1 3

3. Choose an Operation: After confirming your VM selection, the main menu will appear. Select the number corresponding to the task you want to perform.

   [INFO] Interactive Setup:
   Select operation mode for the selected VMs:
     [1] Convert Machine: i440fx -> q35 (& replace snapshot)
     [2] Convert Machine: q35 -> i440fx (& replace snapshot)
     ...
     [7] Replace last snapshot only
     [8] Exit Script
   Your choice: 2

4. Configure Options & Confirm: The script will then ask for any additional settings (like snapshot handling or Dry Run mode) and present a final confirmation before starting the operations.

Advanced Usage: Command-Line Mode

For faster operations or for use in your own scripts, you can bypass the interactive VM selection by providing a space-separated list of VM IDs as arguments.

Syntax: curl -sL [URL] | bash -s -- <VMID1> <VMID2> <VMID3>

Example: This command will load the script and immediately select VMs 101, 102, and 305 before proceeding to the main operations menu.

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/speedrapide10/Proxmox-Public-Scripts/main/Proxmox_VE_VM_Management_Script.sh | bash -s -- 101 102 305

🤝 Contributing & Feedback

This was a passion project, but I believe there's always more room for improvement! If you have suggestions for new features, find a bug, or have ideas for making the script even better, please feel free to:

• Open an Issue: Report bugs or suggest features.

• Submit a Pull Request: Contribute directly to the code.

Your feedback is highly welcome!

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.