systemctl enable --now qemu-guest-agent``

Then, enable it in the VM’s settings in the Proxmox web UI (Options → QEMU Guest Agent → Yes).

This allows Proxmox to:
* Gracefully shut down or reboot the VM.
* Display IP addresses.
* 	Freeze filesystems for snapshots.
* Improve backup consistency.

| Environment | Needs QEMU Guest Agent | Why |
|:-----|:--------:|----|
| Proxmox Host | No | It’s the hypervisor itself |
|VM (KVM) | Yes | Enables clean shutdown, IP reporting, backups|
|LXC Container | No | Uses Proxmox’s native container controls|


Proxmox control LXC Containers natively with `pct enter`, `pct exec`
, etc.



When installed in a VM, it lets Proxmox talk to the guest OS directly. That enables:
	•	Safe shutdowns & reboots from the Proxmox UI (qm shutdown works cleanly instead of forcing ACPI power-off).
	•	Freeze/thaw for live backups (Proxmox can quiesce the filesystem so backups are consistent).
	•	Accurate IP reporting (Proxmox dashboard shows the VM’s internal IP addresses).
	•	Better integration (time sync, guest status, etc.).

It doesn’t add much overhead and is considered best practice for production or homelab VMs.

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install qemu-guest-agent -y
sudo systemctl enable qemu-guest-agent
sudo systemctl start qemu-guest-agent
systemctl status qemu-guest-agent