🛡️ MicroOS-PBS: Proxmox Backup Server on MicroOS

This repository provides a specialized build system and deployment configuration for running Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) as a high-performance container. While optimized for OpenSUSE MicroOS using Podman Quadlets, it is fully compatible with standard Docker and Podman (Compose) environments.

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🚀 Overview

This setup builds a Podman image for PBS using official Proxmox repositories and deploys it to a MicroOS host. It supports two distinct build and deployment strategies to accommodate both automated CI/CD and direct host-level control.

✨ Key Features

• 🏗️ Immutable Infrastructure: Designed specifically for OpenSUSE MicroOS.
• ⚙️ Systemd Integration: Native management via Podman Quadlet (.container units).
• 🛠️ Dual Build Strategy: Supports direct host builds (build_on_microos.bash) and automated GitHub Actions.
• 📂 NFS Support: Interactive setup for NFS-backed datastores with automated systemd mount generation.
• 📦 Registry Support: Official builds published to both GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) and Docker Hub.

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⚡ Performance Note

The build process is streamlined using pre-compiled packages from Proxmox Trixie repositories.

• Target Hardware: Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny (Intel i5-3470T (4) @ 3.60 GHz).
• Estimated Build Time: ~2-5 minutes (package-based).
• Reference Build: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9 16IMH9 (Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (22) @ 5.10 GHz).
• Measured Build Time: ~1 minute 40 seconds (clean build).

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📋 Prerequisites

• Target Host: OpenSUSE MicroOS with podman enabled.
• Dependencies: nfs-utils (for NFS) and screen (for build persistence) are required.
• Quick Install: Run the following on your host:

  transactional-update pkg install nfs-utils screen && sync && sleep 5 && reboot

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🚢 Deployment Options

⚡ Option A: Use Automated GHCR Image (Fastest)

Deploy using the image automatically built and published by GitHub Actions:

1. Run the setup script:

   ./setup_microos.bash

2. Follow the wizard: The setup will guide you through networking and storage configuration.

🛠️ Option B: Build Directly on MicroOS Host (Control)

If you prefer to build the image directly on your target hardware:

1. Run the build script:

   ./build_on_microos.bash

   This packs the current repo and triggers a build on the host, producing localhost/proxmox-backup-server:latest.
2. Run the setup script:

   ./setup_microos.bash

🛠️ Option C: Local Development & Testing (Podman/Docker)

The local scripts and configuration are designed to work seamlessly with both Podman and Docker.

1. Automated Test Suite (Recommended)

This script builds the image, sets up a private network, and performs a real backup verification using a separate client container:

1. Build locally: ./local_build.bash
2. Run multi-container test: ./local_test.bash
3. Clean up: ./local_cleanup.bash

2. Local Execution via Docker Compose

For a standard persistent local setup, use the provided docker-compose.yml:

1. Start the server:

   docker compose up -d
   # or
   podman-compose up -d

2. Access Web UI: https://localhost:8007 (admin@pbs / pbspbs)

3. Manual Local Execution

docker run -d \
    --name pbs-local \
    -p 8007:8007 \
    --tmpfs /run \
    -v $(pwd)/data/config:/etc/proxmox-backup \
    -v $(pwd)/data/datastores:/var/lib/proxmox-backup \
    ghcr.io/ramonvanraaij/proxmox-backup-server:latest

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🔄 Branch Strategy & Release Flow

The project uses a structured release flow to ensure stability:

1. Develop Branch (develop): Daily automated checks monitor upstream Proxmox releases. If a new version is detected, a Release Candidate (-RC) is automatically created and published from this branch.
2. Testing & Verification: Changes are tested on the develop branch. Manual builds on develop generate unique date-versioned images for isolated verification.
3. Main Branch (main): Once verified, develop is merged into main (squashed). Running the workflow manually on main finalizes the Stable release, tags it as latest, and publishes it to Docker Hub.

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⚙️ Configuration

• 🖥️ Web UI: https://<microos-ip>:8007
• 🔑 Default Login: admin@pbs / pbspbs

📂 Storage Paths

Purpose	Host Path	Container Path
Config	Configurable (Default: /var/lib/config/pbs)	/etc/proxmox-backup
Data	Configurable (Default: /var/lib/data/pbs)	/var/lib/proxmox-backup
Logs	Configurable (Default: /var/log/pbs)	/var/log/proxmox-backup

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🔄 CI/CD Pipeline

The project includes a robust GitHub Actions workflow (.github/workflows/pbs-auto-build.yml) that:

1. Monitors Upstream: Checks the Proxmox APT repository daily for new PBS package versions.
2. Auto-Builds: Creates Release Candidate (-RC) images on the develop branch when a new version is detected.
3. Distributes: Builds, tests, and pushes images to GHCR. Stable releases are also published to Docker Hub.

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🤝 Credits & Maintenance

Developed and maintained by Rámon van Raaij (2026).

This project is an extensive refactor and specialization for MicroOS/Podman based on the original work by Kamil Trzciński (2020-2025).

• 🦋 Bluesky: @ramonvanraaij.nl
• 🐙 GitHub: @ramonvanraaij
• 🌐 Website: ramon.vanraaij.eu

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☕ Buy me a Coffee

If you found this project helpful, informative, or if it saved you some time, consider supporting my work! Your support motivates me to keep building and sharing.

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Thank you for your support! ❤️