Cloning creates a new guest from an existing one. Clone a template such as debian-13-template to roll out a fresh server in seconds, or clone a running guest to get a test copy. You can clone from the current state or from a snapshot, onto another node, and choose between a full copy and a linked clone. Cloning is part of Aprox Pro.

Where to find it

  • Sidebar › debian-13-template › Summary › Actions › Clone.
  • Or long-press the guest or template in the sidebar (right-click on a Mac) › Clone….

On the free plan the button carries a lock (menus show "(Pro)"), and tapping it opens an overview of Aprox Pro.

Clone a guest or template

  1. Open Clone.
  2. Under Source, check the Guest. If it has snapshots, choose From: Current state or one of its snapshots.
  3. Under New guest:
    • ID: pre-filled with the next free VMID. Change it if you like. IDs below 100 are reserved, and Aprox warns you if the ID is already in use.
    • Name (virtual machine) or Hostname (container): the new guest's name, for example web-02.
    • Node: shown when the cluster has several nodes. Choose where the clone is created.
  4. Under Disks, choose how the disks are copied:
    • Full: every disk is copied, so the clone stands on its own. Optionally choose a Target storage; leave it unset to keep each disk on the same storage as the original's.
    • Linked (templates only): "The clone shares the template's disk and starts almost instantly, but the template can never be deleted while it exists."
  5. Tap Clone. Aprox shows Cloning… and closes the sheet once Proxmox has accepted the job.

The new guest appears in the sidebar as soon as Proxmox creates it. It stays locked until the copy is finished.

Follow the clone

  • iPhone: a Live Activity shows "Cloning …" with its progress. See Live Activities.
  • Android: a progress notification.
  • Everywhere: the task and its live log in the guest's Tasks tab and in Cluster Tasks.

Full or linked?

Full clone Linked clone
Source Any guest or template Templates only
Disk space A complete copy of every disk Only the changes compared to the template
Speed Takes as long as copying the disks Almost instant
Independence Stands on its own Depends on the template; the template cannot be deleted while the clone exists
Storage Any storage Must be the template's storage, which has to support linked clones (for example LVM-thin, ZFS, Ceph or qcow2 files)

Requirements on the server

  • Privileges: typically VM.Clone on the source, VM.Allocate on the new guest, and Datastore.AllocateSpace on the target storage.
  • Cloning to another node needs storage that the target node can reach. For a full clone you can choose a target storage on that node.

Good to know

  • After cloning: Proxmox gives the clone new MAC addresses, but anything inside the guest, such as its hostname, machine ID or SSH host keys, is copied as it is. Templates prepared with cloud-init or sysprep avoid duplicates.
  • Make a template first. If you plan to clone a guest often, convert it to a template to unlock linked clones.