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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
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    • Raffi_R
      Raffi_
      last edited by

      I always learn something new on here. I didn't realize there were so many ways to skin the same cat in terms of file level backups. I have been using the backup package for backing up my script. I didn't see that one mentioned.

      dennypageD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • dennypageD
        dennypage @Raffi_
        last edited by

        @Raffi_ It's a personal preference. The reason I prefer the System Patches or Filer package approach is that the information ends up being contained in the XML configuration file used for backup and restore.

        I store the XML configuration file (sans RRD and lease data) in a revision control system. I have firewall configs going back to 2013. Just in case. 😊

        stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @dennypage
          last edited by

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

          I have firewall configs going back to 2013.

          Nice. 😁

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • P
            pFence
            last edited by

            Does not work for me (pfSense+ 23.05.1).

            • When I run

              /usr/local/bin/php -q /root/pkg_check.php
              

              from the ssh console, it returns "Unable to check for updates".

            • The system log has no entry for the cronjob created, wheras it shows entries for others.

            Seems as if two things went wrong.

            P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • P
              pFence @pFence
              last edited by

              @pFence Now it works (pfSense+ 23.09).

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • O
                Overlord
                last edited by

                During the run of this script my ntopng is restarting. I got this mail at the same time this script is running:

                22:02:00 Service Watchdog detected service ntopng stopped. Restarting ntopng (ntopng Network Traffic Monitor)
                
                GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  Hmm, odd. Do you see that if you manually run it?

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • GertjanG
                    Gertjan @Overlord
                    last edited by

                    @Overlord

                    That just a coincidence.
                    See your system log for the reason.

                    The script "/root/pkg_check.php" as shown above basically runs this command
                    "pkg update".
                    That command doesn't flap interfaces, doesn't kill "random process" , or things like that.

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

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

                      @luckman212: I have been running you pkg_check.php for quite some time now. Most recently, it alerted me to an update of curl from 8.4.0 to 8.5.0.

                      I have been relying on your script exclusively to alert me to updates being available. For some reason, however, it missed the release of pfSense 23.09.1. Any idea, why?

                      Looking into this further, I have these in System → Update:

                      Screenshot 2023-12-11 at 11.34.27 PM.png

                      and

                      Screenshot 2023-12-11 at 11.34.42 PM.png

                      I am wondering, whether it has something to do with which branch is selected. Currently it is “Previous Stable Version (23.09).” The other option is “Current Stable Version (23.09.1).” If so, this merits a separate post.

                      GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GertjanG
                        Gertjan @DominikHoffmann
                        last edited by

                        @DominikHoffmann

                        AFAIK, the script uses the same PHP lines that shows this :

                        a63f4760-13e9-402d-b47e-87589bf07124-image.png

                        I can't remember if I had received a mail from pfSense about "23.09.1" is available .... I' not sure, and already wiped notification mails from last month.
                        edit : that a negative : 23.09.1 was last week ( ! ) : that means no mail from this script about "23.09.1". That's new, indeed. Something changed in the packet handling ? Not that I wasn't aware, as I've also the RSS feed mailing me if a new Netgate pfSense blog post is posted :
                        c3d86de4-45c7-4b42-ae71-02abcc2a9bb3-image.png

                        ... the forum and github are also good indicators ;)

                        For me it's the other way around : I can't select the "Previous Stable version 23.09" :

                        957f9e2c-1c01-43db-92b3-664aa2a3b5cb-image.png

                        which is a don't care for me, as, if needed, I'll do the ZFS-magic-click and I'm back into "23.09" after reboot.

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

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          It's because the upgrade scheme has changed. Previously we pushed the updated repo pkg and it changed the default pkg repo to the new branch. That then allowed the update check to see the new version and show it on the dashboard. But it also meant that users who didn't see it or ignored it and then tried to install pkgs could end up with bad pkgs and a broken install. We added numerous things to prevent this but none were infallible.
                          In the the new upgrade scheme pfSense can check for release updates in all configured branches. That means we can show 23.09.1 as an available upgrade without switching the selected repo branch. When you click on the upgrade you have to select the new repo branch from the drop down to upgrade to it. You have to opt-in.

                          But that also means that this script doesn't see that update since it only checks for available pkg upgrades in the current branch.

                          It would need to run pfSense-upgrade -C to see available upgrades for all branches which i9s what the dashboard check now does.

                          Steve

                          luckman212L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • luckman212L
                            luckman212 LAYER 8 @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            I'm in the process of upgrading my systems to 23.09.1 and will update this script shortly (if it's possible) to handle the new update mechanism.

                            D GertjanG wgstarksW 5 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
                            • D
                              DominikHoffmann @luckman212
                              last edited by

                              This post is deleted!
                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • D
                                DominikHoffmann @luckman212
                                last edited by

                                @luckman212: Looking forward to the update! Would you include a reply in this thread, when you’re done with that?

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • GertjanG
                                  Gertjan @luckman212
                                  last edited by

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

                                  to handle the new update mechanism.

                                  It did tell me (mail) that the 'curl' package was available, a coupe of days ago. So, for me, it works ©

                                  Also : if the pfSense GUI doesn't show others pfSense version, like : Current ..., Previous .... or Development ... then this script can't do more neither.

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

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • stephenw10S
                                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                    last edited by

                                    The dashboard uses the new -C switch for pfSense upgrade to check all configured branches for newer release versions.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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                                    • D
                                      DominikHoffmann @luckman212
                                      last edited by

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

                                      I'm in the process of upgrading my systems to 23.09.1 and will update this script shortly (if it's possible) to handle the new update mechanism.

                                      Hi! Did you ever get around to updating your script?

                                      D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • JonathanLeeJ
                                        JonathanLee
                                        last edited by

                                        What a gem of a thread!!!

                                        Make sure to upvote

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • JonathanLeeJ
                                          JonathanLee @luckman212
                                          last edited by

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

                                          /usr/local/bin/php -q /root/pkg_check.php

                                          Thank you

                                          Make sure to upvote

                                          GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • GertjanG
                                            Gertjan @JonathanLee
                                            last edited by

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

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

                                            /usr/local/bin/php -q /root/pkg_check.php

                                            Thank you

                                            That's the command you paste into a cron task.

                                            99fd6a4a-7257-466b-bbeb-650b2b1897bd-image.png

                                            "cron" itself is a pfSense package :

                                            601b4be5-844c-40ff-84ca-40abd0c2cb52-image.png

                                            it permits you to show the already present cron tasks, and add your own.

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

                                            JonathanLeeJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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