In this article, you’ll learn how to install Proxmox Backup Client on both Debian-based and other Linux distributions, so you can start securing your infrastructure quickly and easily with Cloud-PBS.
The Proxmox Backup Client is a tool developed by the Proxmox team that allows you to backup any Linux based system to a Proxmox Backup Server.
Install on a Debian based distribution
Installing the client on a Debian based system is straightforward. Based on the official documentation, follow the steps below.
If you are already using a Proxmox VE host or a Proxmox Backup Server, the client is already installed.
As of June 2025, it’s possible to install the client on most Linux distribution but the Proxmox team officialy provides APT repositories only for Debian based systems.
If you’re using another distribution, skip to the “Install on any Linux distribution” section.
Depending on your Debian version, you first need to add the repository in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pbs-client.list file. Note that this should also work with Ubuntu.
| Debian version | Repository URL |
|---|---|
| 12 | deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client bookworm main |
| 11 | deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client bullseye main |
| 10 | deb http://download.proxmox.com/debian/pbs-client buster main |
- For exemple 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 on your client host
wget https://enterprise.proxmox.com/debian/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/proxmox-release-bookworm.gpg
- Update your package cache and install the client
apt update
apt install proxmox-backup-client
The client is now ready to back up your Debian host.
Before you begin backing up, be sure to create a PBS api token. Refer to this doc if needed.
Install on any Linux distribution
Thanks to the Proxmox team, you can now run the Proxmox Backup Client on virtually any Linux distribution using a statically linked binary.
While there’s no native package for other distributions, you can:
- Get the binary from a Debian system by installing the proxmox-backup-client-static package, then copy the /usr/bin/proxmox-backup-client binary to your target.
- Download the binary (currently 3.4.1) directly from this link using the cli below
wget -P /usr/local/bin https://cloud-pbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/proxmox-backup-client
- Verify the file integrity
sha256sum proxmox-backup-client 85b477e2f17b86947f332cfe71ccfc365e1c9821a7a748899b13fcffbcd0c8f9 proxmox-backup-client
- Make it executable
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/proxmox-backup-client
You can now use the Proxmox Backup Client to backup your system. It has been successfully tested on Fedora 41 and Rocky Linux 9 here.
[root@fedora41 bin]# /usr/local/bin/proxmox-backup-client version client version: 3.4.1
[root@rocky9 ~]# /usr/local/bin/proxmox-backup-client version client version: 3.4.1
Conclusion
Whether you’re running Debian or another Linux distribution, setting up the Proxmox Backup Client is a simple and reliable way to back up your systems to a Proxmox Backup Server.
With Cloud-PBS, you can start protecting your infrastructure immediatly and take full advantage of Proxmox Backup Server features like deduplication and external synchronization without needing a Proxmox VE host.
Need help deploying a full Proxmox backup strategy across your servers? Contact us or join us on Discord, we’ll be happy to help !
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