proxmox-backup-client: installation guide for Debian and Ubuntu

proxmox-backup-client is the official command-line tool from the Proxmox team to back up any Debian or Ubuntu host to a Proxmox Backup Server. It is shipped as a Debian package on the Proxmox APT mirror; this page is the canonical installation procedure.

If you are already using a Proxmox VE host or a Proxmox Backup Server, proxmox-backup-client is already installed.

Not on Debian or Ubuntu? For Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, RHEL, Fedora, Alpine, Arch, openSUSE, see our extended guide: Install Proxmox Backup Client on non-Debian Linux.

Add the Proxmox repository

Based on the official documentation, you need to add the pbs-client repository for your Debian version. The same repository also works on the matching Ubuntu version.

Debian version	Repository line
12 (bookworm)	deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client bookworm main
11 (bullseye)	deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client bullseye main
10 (buster)	deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client buster main

For example on a Debian 12 host:

echo "deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client bookworm main" \
  > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pbs-client.list

Add the signing key

wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg \
  -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg

Replace bookworm with the codename matching your version (bullseye, buster).

Install the client

apt update
apt install proxmox-backup-client

The client is now ready to back up your Debian or Ubuntu host.

Create an API token before you start

Before running your first backup, create a PBS API token on your Proxmox Backup Server so the client can authenticate non-interactively. See Create a token to authenticate your PVE for the step-by-step.

First backup

A minimal backup of / from the host:

proxmox-backup-client backup root.pxar:/ \
  --repository user@pbs!token@your-cloud-pbs-instance:store

For the full command reference (list, restore, prune, mount), see the official Proxmox Backup Client documentation.

Frequently asked questions

What is proxmox-backup-client?

proxmox-backup-client is the command-line client that talks to a Proxmox Backup Server. It chunks, deduplicates, optionally encrypts client-side, and uploads data to a PBS datastore over HTTPS. It is the same tool that runs inside vzdump jobs on Proxmox VE hosts, packaged separately so any Linux host can use it.

Where is proxmox-backup-client installed?

The APT package installs the binary at /usr/bin/proxmox-backup-client and pulls in its dependencies (libssl, librrd, etc.) automatically. The configuration is per-user: each invocation reads --repository, --ns, and credentials from the command line or from environment variables.

How do I check the proxmox-backup-client version?

proxmox-backup-client version

This prints the installed client version and confirms the binary is reachable. The current major line is 3.x, tracking the Proxmox Backup Server release line.

What is the difference between proxmox-backup-client and proxmox-backup-client-static?

proxmox-backup-client (this page) is the regular dynamically-linked Debian package, with dependencies pulled by APT. proxmox-backup-client-static is a separate package that ships a statically-linked binary with no runtime dependencies, designed to be copied to non-Debian Linux hosts. Both binaries speak the same PBS protocol; the difference is purely deployment-shape.

Can proxmox-backup-client run on Ubuntu?

Yes. Ubuntu shares Debian’s APT stack and glibc, so the same pbs-client repository is used. Match the Debian codename to your Ubuntu base: bookworm for Ubuntu 24.04 / 22.04, bullseye for Ubuntu 20.04. Tested up to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS at the time of writing.

Can proxmox-backup-client run on Rocky Linux, Fedora, Alpine, or other non-Debian Linux?

Not via APT, but yes via two supported paths: copy the proxmox-backup-client-static binary from a Debian host, or run a Debian container. See the extended guide for non-Debian Linux.

How do I uninstall proxmox-backup-client?

apt remove proxmox-backup-client
rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pbs-client.list
rm /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-*.gpg
apt update

This removes the binary and the APT repository configuration. Existing backups on the Proxmox Backup Server side are not touched by uninstalling the client.