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Getting started

cv4pve-vdi runs on the user’s computer (a workstation, a laptop, a thin client) and talks to the Proxmox VE REST API on port 8006. Nothing is installed on the nodes.

cv4pve-vdi is a single executable. The shared release workflow publishes a zip for each system and the WinGet package:

PlatformHow
Linuxwget https://github.com/Corsinvest/cv4pve-vdi/releases/latest/download/cv4pve-vdi-linux-x64.zip && unzip cv4pve-vdi-linux-x64.zip && chmod +x cv4pve-vdi
ARM: cv4pve-vdi-linux-arm64.zip, cv4pve-vdi-linux-arm.zip
Windows (WinGet)winget install Corsinvest.cv4pve.vdi
Windows (manual)cv4pve-vdi.exe-win-x64.zip, also x86 and arm64
macOS (manual)cv4pve-vdi-osx-arm64.zip or cv4pve-vdi-osx-x64.zip

Binaries are self-contained: no .NET runtime to install. All files are on thelatest release page.

WinGet installs the cv4pve-vdi command; from a zip, start the extracted executable. There is no Homebrew formula, macOS .pkg, .deb, .rpm or AUR package for cv4pve-vdi.

SPICE and VNC consoles open in remote-viewer, the viewer of the virt-viewer project. cv4pve-vdi does not look for it: until its path is set, the main window shows remote-viewer is not configured: SPICE and VNC consoles will not work with an Open Settings button. RDP, SSH and the other services do not need it.

winget install RedHat.VirtViewer

The viewer is C:\Program Files\VirtViewer v<version>\bin\remote-viewer.exe, e.g. VirtViewer v11.0-256. The installer is also on the SPICE download page.

Then set its path in Settings → Launchers → Viewer path (the folder button opens a file picker):

Settings, Launchers tab: viewer path, SPICE and VNC switches, launcher list
  1. Start cv4pve-vdi. The login window opens.

  2. Click the gear next to Cluster (Manage clusters), then + to add a cluster.

  3. Fill in the cluster:

    Edit Cluster dialog
    Field What to enter
    Name The name shown in the login window, e.g. prod.
    Hosts One or more nodes as host[:port], comma-separated: pve1.example.com,pve2.example.com:8006. The port defaults to 8006. At login cv4pve-vdi uses the first host that answers, so the cluster stays reachable while a node is down.
    Skip TLS certificate validation For nodes with the self-signed certificate Proxmox VE installs by default. Leave it off when the nodes have a trusted certificate.
    Timeout (seconds) How long to wait for each host. Default 10, from 5 to 120.
    SPICE proxy Optional, see How it connects.
    Viewer extra options Optional arguments added to remote-viewer for this cluster, e.g. --full-screen.
  4. Click the save button of the dialog, then Save in Settings.

Add one entry per cluster; the login window lets you pick which one to open.

Log in with a Proxmox VE account, the same you would use in the web interface:

  • Username with its realm: alice@pve, alice@pam, or alice@<your LDAP/AD realm>. The last username is filled in next time.
  • Password.
  • OTP: the code from the authenticator app, or recovery:<key> for one of the recovery keys; only for accounts with two-factor authentication.

The globe menu at the top right changes the language of the interface; see Languages.

Login window: cluster, username, password, OTP and language

cv4pve-vdi logs in with a user and password, not with an API token: the account belongs to the person in front of the screen, and its password can be passed on to RDP for single sign-on. What the account may see and do is set in Proxmox VE: see Permissions.