[SOLVED] Unable to Install or Upgrade Packages

tman222

Hi all,

I'm trying to update the System Patches package from 2.2.2 to 2.2.3 from the WebGUI on a system recently upgraded from 23.01 to 23.05. I'm greeted with the following errors upon confirming the upgrade:

pfSense-pkg-System_Patches reinstallation failed!

Another instance of pfSense-upgrade is running.  Try again later

Is there a fix or workaround for this error? I have never seen this before. Thanks in advance for your help.

==============

Update 6/7/2023:

Resolution can be found in post 40 by @delphin_007 below:
https://forum.netgate.com/topic/180382/unable-to-install-or-upgrade-packages/40

tman222

Could this be related?

When going to System -> Package Manager -> Installed Packages tab, the following error shows up in the System Logs

/pkg_mgr_installed.php: The command '/usr/local/sbin/pfSense-repo-setup' returned exit code '1', the output was 'pfSense-repoc-static: invalid signature failed to read the repo data. failed to update the repository settings!!!'

NRgia

@tman222 I cannot help, but I can tell you I just updated it, and got no errors

tman222

Thanks @NRgia

Running pfSense-repoc-static -n shows the same invalid signature error that is shown in the System Logs. pfSense-upgrade -c and pfSense-upgrade -dc show everything is up to date and no errors. What does invalid signature mean?

SteveITS

@tman222 "another instance" may mean it's stuck, you can try restarting which sometimes works. There are various threads for that.

You might try, from https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/upgrades.html#upgrade-not-offered-library-errors:

If the upgrade is still not offered, refresh the repository configuration and upgrade script by running the following commands from the console or shell:
pkg-static clean -ay; pkg-static install -fy pkg pfSense-repo pfSense-upgrade

Sometimes near release day the servers get overloaded so another approach is to wait a day or two, try at night etc.

tman222

Thanks @SteveITS - I have been looking through other threads as well to try to find a solution, and I think for now I'll just leave it sit for a few hours and try again later hoping it will resolve itself. If not, I'll try a reboot next.

tman222

Waited a few hours and tried to update again - still getting the same errors as listed in the first second posts in this thread. Rebooted and then tried to update again, still getting the same errors.

Next, I tried the suggestion from @SteveITS and ran the following from the CLI:

pkg-static clean -ay; pkg-static install -fy pkg pfSense-repo pfSense-upgrade

Tried to update again and still got the same errors. Ran the command again, this time rebooted first, and tried to update, still no dice.

What's interesting is that when I run the series of commands above once, and then try to run them again a second time right after, I'm greeted with certificate verification errors (which have been discussed in a number of other threads). I have to go and briefly switch back to the 23.01 branch and then forward to 23.05 again for the commands to execute without errors.

I'm starting to be convinced that this is not an issue on my end, but possibly an issue with one of the upgrade servers/nodes, or maybe one of the packages, e.g. pfSense-upgrade, pkg, or pfSense-repo? I do have a dual stack IPv4/IPv6 setup - just in case this may only be affecting an IPv6 node/server.

kburk

I'm having the same issues here running 23.05RC. I cannot manage any of my packages due to this (install/remove/upgrade), via the GUI I get a message saying:

Another instance of pfSense-upgrade is running. Try again later

In the /var/log/system.log file I can see this message pop up anytime I go to the "Package Manager" in the GUI.

May 25 18:06:28 pfSense php-fpm[35539]: /pkg_mgr_installed.php: The command '/usr/local/sbin/pfSense-repo-setup' returned exit code '1', the output was 'pfSense-repoc-static: invalid signature failed to read the repo data. failed to update the repository settings!!!'

I do not see any other processes running pfSense-upgrade and the issue remains after a fresh reboot.

Dobby_

@NRgia said in Unable to Upgrade Packages:

@tman222 I cannot help, but I can tell you I just updated it, and got no errors

Me too, on 23.05 and 2.7 Devel all was fine
running without any problems here.

tman222

Still seeing all these errors as of this morning.

Found this thread on reddit where someone is experiencing similar issues:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PFSENSE/comments/13rgo15/pfsense_2301_2305_upgrade_issues/

As suggested in that reddit thread, could this be an issue with the latest version of the pfsense-upgrade package?

For those also running into these errors - are you able to install or remove any packages? That is to say, is the issue only limited to upgrading existing packages?

SteveITS

@tman222 if someone is on 23.01 they need to change their update branch to Previous before installing any packages.

tman222

Thanks @SteveITS - that makes sense. My question was mainly aimed at those that had already upgraded 23.05 to see if the issues I'm seeing are limited just to package upgrades vs. including installs and removals.

I've gone through most of the relevant steps on this page, but unfortunately nothing has helped thus far:

https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/upgrades.html

If I can provide any additional information to try to help resolve these errors, please let me know.

tman222

I'm also unable to install new pfSense packages now (same set of errors as described above). I was able to install new packages immediately after upgrading to 23.05 earlier this week, so this breaking change must have occurred in the last couple of days. Have pfSense-upgrade, pkg, or pfSense-repo been updated recently (e.g. when a new package is released)?

SteveITS

@tman222 Just after upgrade (Tuesday night) I reinstalled pfBlocker. Just now I upgraded System Patches (which doesn't have any recommended for 23.05 yet), and installed and removed the Cron package to test. I have a 2100 at home. I tend to use it as a test before any of ours or our clients.

When I did the upgrade I did get a cert error for that, so IIRC I came back the next night, it wasn't showing 23.05 available, so I opened the Update/Update Settings page and clicked Save without making changes (still set to Current). After that it was fine.

tman222

@SteveITS - thanks for the follow up and confirming that things are working ok on your side. This is strange indeed. At this point I'm just about out of ideas - the one last thing I can think of is that there is maybe an issue with my registration for pfSense Plus. I'm going to look into this. Thanks again for all your help.

kburk

Last night I just did a full reinstall on my 6100 via console/USB and I'm no longer seeing this issue. While doing the install you can choose an option to Recover config.xml which makes the installation fairly quick. I would have liked to provide more troubleshooting details to figure out what was causing this, but I needed to get this working again so I can install packages again.

tman222

@kburk - thanks for following up and letting us know that a reinstall fixes this issue.

In my case I am running non-Netgate hardware so a direct reinstall of 23.05 is unfortunately not possible. I believe I'd have to start with 2.6 CE again, then go to 23.01 , and finally 23.05. I'd like to avoid that if possible, if there is another way to resolve this issue.

Dobby_

@tman222 said in Unable to Install or Upgrade Packages:

I'd like to avoid that if possible, if there is another way to resolve this issue.

If you have a config backup you may be better
to go with the fresh install, that way isn`t longer!!!

Fresh install 2.6 is may be around 15 minutes
plus two time upgrading then the 23.01 and
23.05 and at this point I would install packages
and the config backup all in all you will perhaps
end up with 30 minutes pending on the internet speed and system power (GHz). But then you may be getting "zfs" on top and will be false free ready
without any kind of errors shown around.

And tomorrow if something occurs is weekend.

tman222

This bring up one other idea - I do have ZFS snapshots including one from 23.01 taken prior to upgrading. Does it make sense to go back to a 23.01 snapshot and attempt the upgrade again to see if that might resolve the issue?

tman222

Ok, I was able to upgrade the package System Patches just fine from the shell using:

pkg-static install -yf pfSense-pkg-System_Patches

So the issue seems to be isolated to performing pfSense package upgrades/installs from the WebGUI.