Frequently Asked Questions
==========================
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NOTE: New FAQs are appended to the bottom of this section.

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[qanda]

What distribution is {pmg} based on?::

{pmg} is based on https://www.debian.org[Debian GNU/Linux]

What license does the {pmg} project use?::

{pmg} code is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License,
version 3 (as of the 5.0 release).

Will {pmg} run on a 32bit processor?::

{pmg} works only on 64-bit CPUs (AMD or Intel). There is no plan
for 32-bit platform support.

[[faq-support-table]]
How long will my {pmg} version be supported?::

{pmg} versions are supported *at least as long* as the corresponding Debian
version is supported by the Debian Security Team, i.e. approximately 3 years
after its initial release, see
https://www.debian.org/security/faq#lifespan[Debian lifespan]. {pmg} uses a
rolling release model and using the latest stable version is always
recommended.
+
[width="100%",cols="5*d",options="header"]
|===============================================================================
| {pmg} Version | Debian Version      | First Release | Debian EOL | Proxmox EOL
| {pmg} 9.x     | Debian 13 (Trixie)  | 2025-10       | tba        | tba
| {pmg} 8.x     | Debian 12 (Bookworm)| 2023-06       | 2026-07    | 2026-08
| {pmg} 7.x     | Debian 11 (Bullseye)| 2021-07       | 2024-07    | 2024-07
| {pmg} 6.x     | Debian 10 (Buster)  | 2019-08       | 2022-07    | 2022-07
| {pmg} 5.x     | Debian 9 (Stretch)  | 2018-01       | 2020-07    | 2020-07
|===============================================================================

NOTE: {pmg} releases before 5.0 are not listed here. As they are all EOL (End
Of Life), it's highly recommended to upgrade to a newer version, if still in use.

[[faq-upgrade]]
How can I upgrade {pmg} to the next point release?::

Minor version upgrades, for example, upgrading from {pmg} version 5.1
to 5.2, can be done just like any normal update. But you should still check the
https://pmg.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Roadmap[release notes] for any relevant
notable, or breaking change.
+
For the update itself use either the __Node -> Updates__ panel or
the command line with:
+
----
apt update
apt full-upgrade
----
+
WARNING: As {pmg} uses a rolling release model on top of Debian, performing an `apt
upgrade` may result in a partially upgraded or broken package state. This is because
`apt full-upgrade` can also remove existing packages to satisfy dependencies if needed,
while `apt upgrade` cannot.
+
NOTE: Always ensure that you correctly set up the
xref:pmg_package_repositories[package repositories], and only continue with the
actual upgrade if `apt update` did not hit any errors.

[[faq-major-upgrade]]
How can I upgrade {pmg} to the next major release?::

Major version upgrades, for example, going from {pmg} 5.4 to 6.0, are
also supported. They must be carefully planned and tested, and should
*never* be started without having an up-to-date backup ready.
+
Although the specific upgrade steps depend on your respective setup, we
provide general instructions and advice on how an upgrade should be
performed:
+
* https://pmg.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_6.x_to_7.0[Upgrade from {pmg} 6 to 7]

* https://pmg.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_5.x_to_6.0[Upgrade from {pmg} 5 to 6]

* https://pmg.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_7_to_8[Upgrade from {pmg} 7 to 8]

* https://pmg.proxmox.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrade_from_8_to_9[Upgrade from {pmg} 8 to 9]
