Config rev 22.2 is the correct version for 2.6.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/versions.html.

How does the restore fail?

I would install 2.7.2 and try to restore it into that directly.

I assume you did not have ACB configured?

Steve

If you install 2.7.2 clean and then restore the config file it should pull in the packages and start them with the same configuration they had.

@stephenw10

Do you by chance have any advice on this one?

'pooling' port and vLANs

Ah, interesting. Can you copy/paste the full boot log out of putty here?

damn... @jimp a huge THANKS by me also!

Following your commands I've been able to update my customers remote firewalls without reinstall, thanks again!

For reference: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/multiple-disks.html#clear-the-disk

@stephenw10

Done! Thank you sir.

I also had this issue and certctl rehash fixed it. It would be nice to see an error message when checking for updates on the dashboard instead of thinking everything is fine. Also in case anyone can't boot after the update you may need a BIOS update. Here's my experience https://forum.netgate.com/post/1151342

I had the same exact issue with my box. First couldn't update to 2.7.2 from 2.7.0 due to a bug with cert hashes. Had to run certctl rehash to update then after the update it wouldn't boot with no real error message. Luckily I stumbled on this thread. I was surprised to find that indeed using boot menu options 7 5 5 1 1 booted fine, but as they said above it's an every boot thing. My Lenovo M90q doesn't have a serial port so I attached a USB serial port which didn't do anything. In the end I updated my BIOS and it boots right up every time. Must be a UEFI bug that was patched.

Use the memstick image for a memstick.

Use Etcher. 😉

Steve

You can use 'pkg search' like:

[2.7.2-RELEASE][admin@t70.stevew.lan]/root: pkg search pfSense-pkg pfSense-pkg-Avahi-2.2_4 pfSense package Avahi pfSense-pkg-Backup-0.6 pfSense package Backup pfSense-pkg-Cron-0.3.8_3 pfSense package Cron pfSense-pkg-FTP_Client_Proxy-0.3_8 pfSense package FTP_Client_Proxy pfSense-pkg-Filer-0.60.6_8 pfSense package Filer pfSense-pkg-LADVD-1.2.2_3 pfSense package LADVD pfSense-pkg-LCDproc-0.11.5_1 LCDproc package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-Lightsquid-3.0.7_3 pfSense package Lightsquid pfSense-pkg-Netgate_Firmware_Upgrade-0.47 pfSense package Netgate Firmware Upgrade pfSense-pkg-Notes-0.2.9_5 pfSense package Notes pfSense-pkg-Open-VM-Tools-10.1.0_5,1 pfSense package Open-VM-Tools pfSense-pkg-RRD_Summary-2.2 pfSense package RRD_Summary pfSense-pkg-Service_Watchdog-1.8.7_1 pfSense package Service_Watchdog pfSense-pkg-Shellcmd-1.0.5_3 pfSense package Shellcmd pfSense-pkg-Status_Traffic_Totals-2.3.2_3 Traffic Totals using the vnStat database pfSense-pkg-System_Patches-2.2.9_1 pfSense package System_Patches pfSense-pkg-Tailscale-0.1.4 pfSense package Tailscale pfSense-pkg-Telegraf-0.9_6 pfSense package Telegraf pfSense-pkg-WireGuard-0.2.1 pfSense package WireGuard pfSense-pkg-acme-0.7.5 ACME package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-apcupsd-0.3.92_1 pfSense package apcupsd pfSense-pkg-arping-1.2.2_4 pfSense package arping pfSense-pkg-arpwatch-0.2.1 Arpwatch package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-bandwidthd-0.7.5 BandwidthD package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-bind-9.17 BIND DNS suite with updated DNSSEC and DNS64 pfSense-pkg-cellular-1.2.3_3 Voleatech Cellular Module Interface pfSense-pkg-darkstat-3.1.3_6 pfSense package darkstat pfSense-pkg-freeradius3-0.15.10_1 FreeRADIUS 3.x package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-frr-2.0.2_1 FRR package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-haproxy-0.63_1 pfSense package haproxy pfSense-pkg-haproxy-devel-0.63_1 pfSense package haproxy-devel pfSense-pkg-iperf-3.0.3 pfSense package iperf pfSense-pkg-lldpd-0.9.11_2 802.1ab Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) daemon pfSense-pkg-mailreport-3.6.4_1 pfSense package mailreport pfSense-pkg-mtr-nox11-0.85.6_3 pfSense package mtr-nox11 pfSense-pkg-net-snmp-0.1.5_11 Net-SNMP package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-nmap-1.4.4_7 pfSense package nmap pfSense-pkg-node_exporter-0.18.1_3 pfSense package node_exporter pfSense-pkg-nrpe-4.1 pfSense package nrpe pfSense-pkg-ntopng-0.8.13_10 pfSense package ntopng pfSense-pkg-nut-2.8.2 Network UPS Tools pfSense-pkg-openvpn-client-export-1.9.2 pfSense package openvpn-client-export pfSense-pkg-pfBlockerNG-3.2.0_7 pfSense package pfBlockerNG pfSense-pkg-pfBlockerNG-devel-3.2.0_7 pfSense package pfBlockerNG pfSense-pkg-pimd-0.0.3_6 PIMD package for pfSense pfSense-pkg-siproxd-1.1.4_1 pfSense package siproxd pfSense-pkg-snmptt-1.0.0_1 pfSense package snmptt pfSense-pkg-snort-4.1.6_14 pfSense package snort pfSense-pkg-softflowd-1.2.6_1 pfSense package softflowd pfSense-pkg-squid-0.4.46 pfSense package squid pfSense-pkg-squidGuard-1.16.19 pfSense package squidGuard pfSense-pkg-stunnel-5.50_11 pfSense package stunnel pfSense-pkg-sudo-0.3_8 pfSense package sudo pfSense-pkg-suricata-7.0.2_3 pfSense package suricata pfSense-pkg-syslog-ng-1.16 pfSense package syslog-ng pfSense-pkg-tftpd-0.1.3_4 pfSense package for tftp server pfSense-pkg-tinc-1.0.35_3 pfSense package tinc pfSense-pkg-udpbroadcastrelay-1.0 pfSense package UDP Broadcast Relay pfSense-pkg-zabbix-agent4-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-agent pfSense-pkg-zabbix-agent5-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-agent pfSense-pkg-zabbix-agent6-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-agent pfSense-pkg-zabbix-agent64-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-agent pfSense-pkg-zabbix-proxy4-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-proxy pfSense-pkg-zabbix-proxy5-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-proxy pfSense-pkg-zabbix-proxy6-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-proxy pfSense-pkg-zabbix-proxy64-1.0.6 pfSense package zabbix-proxy pfSense-pkg-zeek-3.0.6_4 Zeek Network Security Monitor package for pfSense

Thanks to the kind and competent help of @stephenw10 my box is working again: The packages available list is fully populated, branches are showing in the system update menu, and it is now fully up to date to 23.09.1.

For anybody appreciating closure: I think the root cause of my problem was an empty /usr/local/etc/pfSense/pkg/repos directory. I do not know how it became emptied out, but the cause of it not to be repopulated with all the commands mentioned above, was my Netgate Device ID (NID) no longer being registered. It also appeared to have changed.

I did add a network card to my box exactly a year ago, and took it out a week later, when it became unstable because it ran too hot. Two weeks ago I installed an alternative that does not run hot, and it is still in. I do know when my NID got invalidated, and if it reverts back to valid in between the to cards, but Stephen re-validated it again, and I will no longer change my box' configuration now. Ever.

@stephenw10 it only went to bios I have it back up and running now thanks

You probably need to reinstall. The only way to roll back is using ZFS snapshots but you would have to have manually added one in CE to roll back to.

Can you give us any example config sections where this is happening?

Hmm, if you add a new drive the BIOS may add a UEFI entry for it and try to boot that if if sees it as bootable.

If that does happen, on the 6100, you would need to set the boot device back to the old drive on the first boot at least. Just for anyone searching in the future.

@stephenw10 Will try to do that and I will reach to you regarding the license. Thanks for your support Stephen.

You can only use the tokens once. If you moved the config to a new VM it will have a new NDI which won't be registered.

Open a ticket with us.
https://www.netgate.com/tac-support-request

@stephenw10 Just wanted to follow up and mark this one as SOLVED — removing the <phase1>1</phase1> from <ipsec> fixed the PHP errors and allowed the interfaces to load. I’ve got it back in production and have a bit more work to restore to the original config, but your advice definitely made the difference! Thanks so much for the help.

@stephenw10 yes that is correct - I posted a lot of details in slack but the important bits are above.