Migrating an AWS EC2 Instance to Proxmox (Step-by-Step Guide)

Moving a virtual machine from the cloud to your local server is totally possible — and easier than it looks if you follow the right process.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

Export an EC2 instance as an AMI
Download it as a VMDK file
Import it into Proxmox
Fix SSH and networking issues

Architecture Overview

AWS EC2 → AMI → Export → S3 → Download VMDK → Proxmox → Import → Run VM

Phase 1: Export from AWS

Step 1: Stop the EC2 Instance

Go to EC2 → Instances
Select your instance
Click Stop

Stopping ensures filesystem consistency.

Step 2: Create AMI

Actions → Image and Templates → Create Image
Wait until the status becomes Available

Step 3: Create VM Export Role (IAM)

Use the following trust policy:

{
 "Version": "2012-10-17",
 "Statement": [
   {
     "Effect": "Allow",
     "Principal": { "Service": "vmie.amazonaws.com" },
     "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
   }
 ]
}

Step 4: Attach Permissions to Role

{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
 {
   "Effect": "Allow",
   "Action": [
     "s3:GetBucketLocation",
     "s3:GetObject",
     "s3:ListBucket",
     "s3:PutObject",
     "s3:GetBucketAcl"
   ],
   "Resource": [
     "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR_BUCKET",
     "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR_BUCKET/*"
   ]
 },
 {
   "Effect": "Allow",
   "Action": [
     "ec2:CopySnapshot",
     "ec2:CreateSnapshot",
     "ec2:DeleteSnapshot",
     "ec2:Describe*",
     "ec2:RegisterImage"
   ],
   "Resource": "*"
 }
]
}

Step 5: Update S3 Bucket Policy

{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
 {
   "Effect": "Allow",
   "Principal": {
     "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::ACCOUNT_ID:role/ROLE_NAME"
   },
   "Action": [
     "s3:PutObject",
     "s3:GetObject"
   ],
   "Resource": [
     "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR_BUCKET",
     "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR_BUCKET/*"
   ]
 }
]
}

Step 6: Give Export Permissions (Important)

{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
 {
   "Effect": "Allow",
   "Action": [
     "ec2:ExportImage",
     "ec2:DescribeExportImageTasks"
   ],
   "Resource": "*"
 },
 {
   "Effect": "Allow",
   "Action": "iam:PassRole",
   "Resource": "arn:aws:iam::ACCOUNT_ID:role/ROLE_NAME"
 }
]
}

Step 7: Export AMI

aws ec2 export-image \
 --image-id ami-xxxx \
 --disk-image-format VMDK \
 --s3-export-location S3Bucket=YOUR_BUCKET,S3Prefix=exports/

Step 8: Check Export Status

aws ec2 describe-export-image-tasks

Step 9: Download VMDK

aws s3 cp s3://YOUR_BUCKET/exports/file.vmdk

Phase 2: Import into Proxmox

Step 10: Upload File

Log in to Proxmox Web UI
Go to Node → local → ISO Images
Click Upload

Before uploading, rename the file from .vmdk to .iso (for example: export-ami-xxxx.vmdk → export-ami-xxxx.iso) because Proxmox ISO storage only accepts ISO files.

Upload the renamed file

Step 11: Rename File

cd /var/lib/vz/template/iso
mv file.iso file.vmdk

Step 12: Create VM (Without Disk)

Create a new VM
Skip disk creation

Step 13: Import Disk

qm importdisk 109 file.vmdk local-lvm

Step 14: Attach Disk

Go to VM → Hardware
Select Unused Disk
Attach using SCSI or VirtIO

Step 15: Set Boot Order

Set the imported disk as the first boot device

Step 16: Start VM

Start the VM and open the console.

Phase 3: Fix Ubuntu Login

Step 17–22: Reset Password Using GRUB

Reboot the VM
Press ESC or Shift during boot
Select Advanced options
Choose recovery mode
Open root shell

Run:

mount -o remount,rw /
passwd ubuntu
reboot -f

Enable SSH Password Login

nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Change:

PasswordAuthentication yes

Restart SSH:

systemctl restart ssh

Phase 4: Configure Networking (Cloud-Init)

Step 23: Add Cloud-Init Drive

VM → Hardware → Add → CloudInit Drive

Step 24–27: Configure Cloud-Init

Set:

Username
Password
SSH key (optional)

Network options:

DHCP:

ip=dhcp

Static IP:

ip=192.168.1.120/24,gw=192.168.1.1

Step 28: Apply Configuration

qm cloudinit update 109

Step 29: Verify IP Address

ip a

Step 30: Connect via SSH

ssh ubuntu@VM_IP

Phase 5: Fix EC2 SSH Issues

Remove AWS-specific configurations:

rm /usr/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service.d/ec2-instance-connect.conf
rm -f /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/*.conf
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl restart ssh

Final Result

You have successfully:

Exported an EC2 instance as an AMI
Converted it to a VMDK file
Imported it into Proxmox
Fixed login and SSH issues
Configured networking
Enabled remote access

Conclusion

Migrating an AWS EC2 instance to Proxmox is a practical way to move workloads from the cloud to your local infrastructure. By exporting the AMI, converting it to a VMDK file, and importing it into Proxmox, you can recreate your cloud environment with minimal changes.

The key steps are straightforward: prepare the instance, configure IAM permissions correctly, export the image, and then import and configure it in Proxmox. Post-migration fixes such as resetting the password, enabling SSH access, and configuring networking with Cloud-Init ensure the system works as expected.

This approach is especially useful for reducing cloud costs, maintaining local backups, building hybrid environments, or setting up development and testing systems. With the right process, you can reliably run your AWS workloads on your own infrastructure.

Migrating an AWS EC2 Instance to Proxmox (Step-by-Step Guide)

Architecture Overview

Phase 1: Export from AWS

Phase 2: Import into Proxmox

Phase 3: Fix Ubuntu Login

Phase 4: Configure Networking (Cloud-Init)

Phase 5: Fix EC2 SSH Issues

Final Result

Conclusion

You have reached the end of the page does not signify the end of the journey, but rather the beginning of a new chapter in innovation and perseverance.

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