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    Pfsense 2.7.0 -> 2.7.2 can't start GUI

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
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    • Z
      zep
      last edited by

      I just did a 2.7.0 to 2.7.2 upgrade
      The GUI is not loading for me
      The sympton seems to be similar to what "thekorn" experienced

      Is there a fix?

      I see the mention of installing 2.7.2 fresh

      Is that the only option?

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      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        Check the config. Has it been corrupted in the same way they saw?

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        • T
          thekorn @zep
          last edited by thekorn

          @zep The ultimate fix for me was to restore a config from before the upgrade. Been running 100% since then! (Luckily I had one on hand!)

          Check your config history (diagnostics, backup & restore, then config history). If you're lucky maybe there's still one from before your upgrade in there.

          edit: oh duh, www not running, can't check that. I'm sure it exists somewhere in the file system, but don't know pfsense well enough to know where. Maybe someone else does?

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          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            Backup configs are stored locally in /conf/backup

            If you have ACB enabled they are also stored there.

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            • Z
              zep @stephenw10
              last edited by

              @stephenw10
              Thanks for the info

              So there were some backups in the /conf/backup folder

              I copied a backup config file
              from /conf/backup/config-1694658441.xml
              to /cf/conf/config.xml

              I rebooted the router
              The router is still working (ie still routing)
              But, I still can not log into the Web Gui

              I do see some &#39 entries, in the config files (both the current file and the backup file)
              But they are in places I would expect

              My sons name is Jason. I call him J. One DHCP reservation is for J's server (xml files shows it as J&#39s server)

              There was also a backup folder under the /cf/conf (so /cf/conf/backup)
              I tried a backup file from there as well
              No luck
              Same issue
              The router comes up and works (ie still routing)
              But, I still can not log into the Web Gui

              Any other suggestions?
              I can do a fresh install if need be (I would do it on a fresh server, just to keep the old one on hand for now)

              Thanks

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              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                Ok so what exactly are you seeing?

                Do you see nginx running in the output of ps -aux?

                Any errors in the nginx logs or main system logs?

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                • Z
                  zep @stephenw10
                  last edited by

                  @stephenw10

                  So
                  The PFSense web page would not load
                  There would be an hour glass on the browser for a few seconds (15 - 30 seconds)
                  Then a browsers error message, indicating page took too long to respond / did not load

                  This was from MS edge

                  This morning I decided to try Chrome
                  The PFSense web page loaded fine from Chrome

                  I tried accessing the PFSense web page from MS Edge on a 2nd PC
                  The PFSense web page loaded fine from the 2nd PC using MS edge

                  I ended up clearing the cache on my broken MS edge PC
                  The PFSense web - GUI page now loads fine from MS edge for me

                  Looks like something happened to my MS edge during the upgrade

                  The PF Sense upgrade seams fine
                  Just my MS Edge browser issue

                  I know try another browser, is just about trouble shooting 101
                  But I was in MS edge to start the upgrade
                  I upgraded PF Sense
                  Then Edge no longer loaded the PF sense web page - GUI

                  All seams fine now (post clearing my MS edge cache)

                  Thanks for the help

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Ah, nice. Yup easily done when it's worked fine previously. 😉

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                    • T
                      thekorn @stephenw10
                      last edited by

                      @stephenw10 The saga continues!

                      So I went to enable the new DHCP server, and... all of a sudden the WWW interface died again!

                      Went in through ssh, and sure enough,

                      cat /conf/config.xml | grep "#039"

                      I get hits on #039s, and the WWW interface is dead.

                      So I checked a config file I made a few days ago, and there are STILL #039s in it. Uh-oh.

                      I then scp'd over my old christmas config (2023-12-29). and checked it for #039s, none found.

                      cat /conf/config-pfSense.housenet-20231229092319.xml | grep "#039"

                      No hits, good. Then I copied christmas config file to config.xml (original is still in place) and check AGAIN for #039s. None found. Reboot. A-OK, web gui comes up.

                      SSH back in...

                      cat /conf/config.xml | grep "#039"

                      SURE ENOUGH, the #039s are back! Reboot again, and now WWW is dead again!

                      Something is actively corrupting my config file after the first reboot! (And as a result the www process is failing.)

                      Is there a way to roll back to 2.7.0 just to double-check that this wasn't happening on that version? Or do I just have to completely re-image it with 2.7.0?

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                      • stephenw10S
                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                        last edited by

                        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?

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                        • C
                          coxhaus @stephenw10
                          last edited by

                          @stephenw10 I am seeing this problem also. I just installed and upgraded to 2.7.2. My laptop only pulls up the login page but my desktop works. I am updating my desktop Windows 11 to the latest updates which my laptop has.

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                          • stephenw10S
                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                            last edited by

                            So one client is able to login and the webgui works as normal? Unlikely to be a config problem then if so.

                            What does the laptop show after logging in?

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                            • C
                              coxhaus @stephenw10
                              last edited by coxhaus

                              @stephenw10 On my laptop I get webConfigurator authentication error for user 'admin' on the pfsense console.

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                              • stephenw10S
                                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                last edited by

                                Like when you are SSH'd to the console?

                                But the desktop is able to login OK?

                                You tested different browsers?

                                It sounds like you might have something auto-filling a bad password perhaps.

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                                • C
                                  coxhaus @stephenw10
                                  last edited by coxhaus

                                  @stephenw10 I manually typed in the login and password on both. Desktop works and laptop does not. My desktop is now on the same Microsoft's update level. Both PCs are in the same network. I do use a Cisco layer 3 switch but all 3 are in the same network so they should be doing layer 2. I will switch my laptop to a routed network. No difference.

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                                  • stephenw10S
                                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                    last edited by

                                    Did you test a different browser?

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                                    • C
                                      coxhaus @stephenw10
                                      last edited by

                                      @stephenw10 I only use Microsoft edge. If I don't find anything I may try loading one.

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                                      • C
                                        coxhaus @stephenw10
                                        last edited by

                                        @stephenw10 I turned on https and now my laptop works.

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