Install QEMU Guest Agent on Ubuntu in Proxmox

The QEMU Guest Agent allows Proxmox to communicate with the Ubuntu guest OS for features such as clean shutdowns, IP address reporting, and improved snapshot/backup handling.

1. Enable the Guest Agent in Proxmox

In the Proxmox web interface:

VM → Options → QEMU Guest Agent → Edit → Enabled

Alternatively, from the Proxmox host:

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qm set <VMID> --agent enabled=1

Example:

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qm set 105 --agent enabled=1

2. Install the Agent in Ubuntu

Inside the Ubuntu VM:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install qemu-guest-agent -y

3. Power Cycle the VM

Fully shut down and start the VM so the QEMU guest-agent VirtIO device is attached.

From the Proxmox host:

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qm shutdown <VMID>
qm start <VMID>

Or shut down the VM normally and start it again from the Proxmox GUI.

4. Verify the Agent

Inside Ubuntu:

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systemctl status qemu-guest-agent

The service should show:

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Active: active (running)

You can also confirm the VirtIO guest-agent device exists:

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ls -l /dev/virtio-ports/

You should see:

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org.qemu.guest_agent.0

5. Test From Proxmox

From the Proxmox host:

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qm agent <VMID> ping

Example:

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qm agent 105 ping

If no error is returned, the QEMU Guest Agent is working correctly.

Note: On recent Ubuntu versions, qemu-guest-agent does not need to be manually enabled with systemctl enable. The service is started automatically when the QEMU guest-agent VirtIO device is available.