# Migrating Umbrel Home to Proxmox VM **URL:** \ **Category:** Support and Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [November 29, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177 "2024-11-29T12:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![captain\_caveman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@captain\_caveman](https://community.umbrel.com/u/captain_caveman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177/1 "2024-11-29T12:26:28Z")
Hello Umbrel community! I’ve been using Umbrel since the very early days, on a Pi4 when the project was brand new. It’s been great participating in the progress of this excellent project. I’ve got a challenge: I bought an Umbrel Home (2023 edition), and I’ve committed even more to Umbrel as part of many self-hosted use cases. As a result, backups have become more important. I have a NUC running Proxmox for a bunch of other services, and it’s time to migrate Umbrel over to a VM on that Proxmox machine. My set up has Proxmox backing up all VMs like clockwork. On the Bitcoin side, I do not want to close my LN channels or have to redo all that work. I see this [thread](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-from-pi4-to-nuc-vm/18523), which looks like a great and feasible approach to doing this migration, but I also note that Umbrel has a migration tool — I used it to migrate from a Pi to the Umbrel Home hardware. Can I use the migration tool to move from Umbrel Home to the Proxmox VM? I assume I’d have to let the VM access the USB drive and connect the Umbrel Home to it, but will this work? Are there any other “gotchas” I should be aware of? I will be frustrated if I lose my LN channels. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Django](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.umbrel.com/django/32/5795_2.png) [@Django](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Django)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177/2 "2024-11-29T13:51:25Z")
I’ve just written a guide for exactly this purpose, and it should hopefully be approved by the moderators and posted here soon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Django](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.umbrel.com/django/32/5795_2.png) [@Django](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Django)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177/3 "2024-11-30T17:54:39Z")
Since my guide is taking ages to get approved, I’ve decided to share it here as a response. I hope you find it helpful. * * * #### ⚠ **Important Safety Warning** ⚠ If you attempt this migration, proceed with extreme caution. Double-check every step to ensure you are not doing anything stupid. Above all, ensure that LND is **never running simultaneously** on both the old and new Umbrel instances. Broadcasting old or invalid channel states may result in penalty transactions, causing the loss of all funds in the affected channels. **DISCLAIMER** : I take no responsibility for any losses caused by mistakes during this migration. Proceed at your own risk. ### Migration Steps #### **1) New Umbrel: Install umbrelOS** Set up [umbrelOS](https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/wiki/Install-umbrelOS-on-x86-Systems) on your new device. #### **2) New Umbrel: Initial Setup** Log in via the web interface, create an account, set a password, and install the **Bitcoin** app from the App Store. #### **3) New Umbrel: SSH Access** While Bitcoin is installing, access the new umbrelOS via SSH. Open a terminal on your computer and connect using: ```auto ssh umbrel@NEW_UMBREL_IP ``` Enter your password when prompted. #### **4) New Umbrel: Stop Bitcoin App** Wait for Bitcoin to finish installing and let it run for about a minute. Then stop the Bitcoin app via the web interface or SSH: ```auto umbreld client apps.stop.mutate --appId bitcoin ``` #### **5) New Umbrel: Modify `sudoers` File** Run the following command to edit the `sudoers` file: ```auto sudo visudo ``` Add the following line to the end of the file: ```auto umbrel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL ``` Save the changes by pressing **CTRL+X** , then **Y** , and finally **Enter** to confirm. #### **6) Old Umbrel: Transfer Bitcoin Data** You’ll now transfer the blockchain data (`/blocks` and `/chainstate` directories) from the old Umbrel to the new one. It is not necessary to stop Bitcoin on the old Umbrel. Access the old Umbrel via SSH: ```auto ssh umbrel@OLD_UMBREL_IP ``` Run the following `rsync` command to transfer the data: ```auto rsync -rav --progress --rsync-path="sudo rsync" /home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/bitcoin/data/bitcoin/chainstate /home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/bitcoin/data/bitcoin/blocks umbrel@NEW_UMBREL_IP:/home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/bitcoin/data/bitcoin ``` Wait for the data transfer to complete. It took 2 or 3 hours in my case. #### **7) New Umbrel: Start Bitcoin** Start the Bitcoin app on the new Umbrel via the web interface or SSH: ```auto umbreld client apps.start.mutate --appId bitcoin ``` Your new node should sync quickly. #### **8) New Umbrel: Install Lightning** Install the **Lightning** app from the App Store, then stop it via the web interface or SSH: ```auto umbreld client apps.stop.mutate --appId lightning ``` #### **9) [CRITICAL] Old Umbrel: Backup Recovery Data** Write down your recovery seed phrase and ensure you have an up-to-date copy of the **Static Channel Backup (SCB)** file in case anything goes wrong. #### **10) Old Umbrel: Stop Lightning** Stop the Lightning app on the old Umbrel via the web interface or SSH: ```auto umbreld client apps.stop.mutate --appId lightning ``` #### **11) Old Umbrel: Transfer Lightning Data** Use `rsync` to transfer LND data from the old Umbrel to the new one: ```auto rsync -rav --progress --rsync-path="sudo rsync" /home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/lightning umbrel@NEW_UMBREL_IP:/home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data ``` This should take only few short minutes, depending on the size of your `channel.db` file. #### **12) New Umbrel: Verify `channel.db` Checksum** Calculate the checksum of the `channel.db` file on the new Umbrel: ```auto sha256sum /home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/lightning/data/lnd/data/graph/mainnet/channel.db ``` #### **13) Old Umbrel: Verify `channel.db` Checksum** Do the same on the old Umbrel: ```auto sha256sum /home/umbrel/umbrel/app-data/lightning/data/lnd/data/graph/mainnet/channel.db ``` #### **14) New Umbrel: Start Lightning (DO NOT START THE OLD ONE!)** If the checksums match, start the Lightning app on the new Umbrel via the web interface or SSH: ```auto umbreld client apps.start.mutate --appId lightning ``` #### **15) Old Umbrel: Uninstall Lightning** If the new Umbrel is functioning correctly and channels are online, uninstall the Lightning app from the old Umbrel. **⚠ Important:** Never run the Lightning app on the old Umbrel again. #### **16) New Umbrel: Revert `sudoers` Changes** Remove the line you added in Step 5 by running: ```auto sudo visudo ``` Remove the corresponding line and save by pressing **CTRL+X** , then **Y** and **Enter**. * * * Congratulations! Your migration is now complete. ✅ ---
**Author:** ![captain\_caveman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@captain\_caveman](https://community.umbrel.com/u/captain_caveman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177/4 "2024-12-10T12:23:31Z")
Came here to say I finally got around to doing this over the weekend, and your guide worked perfectly! Hefty hardware upgrade and backups now reliable and easy! Thank you very much! ---
**Author:** ![Django](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.umbrel.com/django/32/5795_2.png) [@Django](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Django)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/migrating-umbrel-home-to-proxmox-vm/20177/5 "2024-12-11T14:06:50Z")
Your welcome. I am glad I could help.