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    Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    87 Posts 22 Posters 26.3k Views
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    • wgstarksW
      wgstarks
      last edited by

      This works great btw. Only problem I had getting it setup was a typo due to the fact that I missed a space in your cron screenshot.

      Box: SG-4200

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • luckman212L
        luckman212 LAYER 8
        last edited by luckman212

        Glad to hear you got it working! I added a little text block below the screenshot to make it copy/pasteable.

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        • GilG
          Gil Rebel Alliance
          last edited by

          Nice job, like the way you set out the easy copy & paste also

          11 cheers for binary

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          • Raffi_R
            Raffi_
            last edited by

            @luckman212 Thanks for this it works great!

            I notice the email notification mentioned updating packages that are not in the package manager via pkg update. There were a few packages not in the package manager which had new versions. I did the update and all went well. However, I was reading that the pkg update (FreeBSD method?) is not a supported pfSense update method.
            https://forum.netgate.com/topic/118626/pkg-update-upgrade-vs-console-webgui-updates
            In there it mentions the only methods supported are the GUI update and option 13 from console/SSH. This particular thread did not mention the GUI method for updating packages but that must be supported as well.
            My guess is as long as updates to the actual pfSense version and installed packages are done via the GUI and/or option 13, then updating the remaining packages via pkg update should not be an issue?

            Thanks,
            Raffi

            GrimsonG luckman212L 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • GrimsonG
              Grimson Banned @Raffi_
              last edited by

              @raffi_ said in Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts:

              I notice the email notification mentioned updating packages that are not in the package manager via pkg update.

              Probably those: https://forum.netgate.com/topic/140637/update-pfsense-packages-to-protect-against-nginx-libzmq4-and-curl-vulnerabilities you better update them.

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              • Raffi_R
                Raffi_
                last edited by

                @Grimson Thanks for the link. Yes, those were the exact updates which came up. I went ahead and updated them when I got the email notification thanks to the script. I'm on 2.4.4-p2. Wow they were major security updates I wouldn't have known about with this script. You learn something new everyday.

                Thanks for the help and education guys.
                Raffi

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                • luckman212L
                  luckman212 LAYER 8 @Raffi_
                  last edited by

                  @raffi_ The post you linked to was pretty old. Updating via console should be safe as long as you have not messed with the repos. It's basically the same process that occurs when you update via the GUI, as pkg is always used anyway.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • Raffi_R
                    Raffi_
                    last edited by

                    @luckman212 Awesome, thanks for the explanation. You're being too modest :)
                    I learned your script is not the same as the GUI update, it's actually better! The GUI didn't tell me about those vulnerabilities in the packages which required updating, but your script did.

                    Raffi

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                    • C
                      counterfeit7845 @luckman212
                      last edited by

                      This post is deleted!
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                      • O
                        Overlord
                        last edited by

                        Nice plugin - has anybody made an Nagios or CheckMK plugin out of it?

                        R 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • R
                          raidflex @Overlord
                          last edited by

                          Will this script work with the built in pushover notifications enabled or do I need to still use SMTP?

                          luckman212L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • luckman212L
                            luckman212 LAYER 8 @raidflex
                            last edited by

                            @raidflex Not the original one, but here's a quick modified version that should work, I haven't tested it so please give it a try.

                            R 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                            • R
                              raidflex @luckman212
                              last edited by

                              @luckman212 said in Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts:

                              @raidflex Not the original one, but here's a quick modified version that should work, I haven't tested it so please give it a try.

                              Looks to be working properly, thank you for the updated script!

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                              • P
                                pyrodex
                                last edited by

                                I love this script but I modified it ever so slightly to notify all configured methods setup in pfSense. If you find the line "notify_via_smtp($msg);" and replace it with "notify_all_remote($msg);" it will send out notifications to ALL configured methods. I've tested this and it works well.

                                Thanks for all the hardwork!

                                luckman212L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • luckman212L
                                  luckman212 LAYER 8 @pyrodex
                                  last edited by

                                  @pyrodex Thanks for that contribution. I added it to the gist. One day I hope I can turn this into a proper package that has a GUI-configurable alert mode setting.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
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                                  • D
                                    DominikHoffmann
                                    last edited by

                                    Will this get wiped out from /root/ when a system update is installed?

                                    GertjanG Raffi_R 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • GertjanG
                                      Gertjan @DominikHoffmann
                                      last edited by

                                      @DominikHoffmann

                                      Fast answer :
                                      Yes.
                                      No.
                                      Maybe.

                                      Fill in the condition that will apply in the future' and then one of the 3 answers will be valid.

                                      I'll explain : when you upgrade to "MFS" (Marvelous File System, the next file system version that will be sued after the current ZFS) then the drive partitions will get reset : that's a total content loss.
                                      And when you drive dies : that's a Yes.

                                      An usual (up until now) GUI or console upgrade/update : That's a No.
                                      (IMHO : I will never presume this No for granted)

                                      Maybe : Netgate can decide that /root/ will be cleaned out in the future. Call them for more precise answers.

                                      But the question was wrong ^^ Nothing lasts forever.
                                      So, all that counts is : how to get back to a known working situation in case of emergency ?

                                      Easy.
                                      Install the pfSense Notes package.
                                      It's identical to the Notes app in your phone.

                                      Copy paste in there the source of the script.
                                      Copy also the setting for the cron package (and thus the reminder that cron package needs to be installed also).
                                      A link to this forum post so you can find the online "manual" right away, if needed.

                                      Btw : keep on using Notes for any setting changes that you might want to remember after xx days/months/years.

                                      Now your set up for pretty any situation 😊

                                      Or use the Filer package. never used that one myself, but you can make backups with that package.

                                      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                                      Edit : and where are the logs ??

                                      D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
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                                      • Raffi_R
                                        Raffi_ @DominikHoffmann
                                        last edited by

                                        @DominikHoffmann said in Auto update check, checks for updates to base system + packages and sends email alerts:

                                        Will this get wiped out from /root/ when a system update is installed?

                                        This has been working for me since day one when I first posted in this thread in 2019 and it is still working after all the system updates since then.

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                                        • D
                                          DominikHoffmann @Gertjan
                                          last edited by

                                          @Gertjan: Thanks! Using Notes like that is a great idea. I will implement that. I am already in the habit of saving a backed up configuration, which I rename to include the data an a few words describing the modification.

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                                          • stephenw10S
                                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                            last edited by

                                            Yes I would expect it to be kept across almost all updates.

                                            Yes the filer package allows you to keep that in the config so it would be restore after an upgrade even if it was removed. Unless the filer package itself is removed. 😉

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