Pfsense 2.7.0 -> 2.7.2 can't start GUI

stephenw10

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?

zep

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

stephenw10

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

thekorn

@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?

stephenw10

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?

coxhaus

@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.

stephenw10

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?

coxhaus

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

stephenw10

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.

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.

stephenw10

Did you test a different browser?

coxhaus

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

coxhaus

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