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    Manual installation of Snort

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    • jimpJ
      jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
      last edited by jimp

      A package would not touch /etc on pfSense, so that wouldn't help, and doesn't make sense in this context.

      First, go to System > Update, Update Settings tab. Make sure you are set to Latest Stable Version. Save. Then check for packages again.

      Do other packages show up in the list, but not snort?

      If so, you might need to manually force the reinstall from the command line:

      pkg install -fy pfSense-pkg-snort

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      • bmeeksB
        bmeeks
        last edited by

        Snort will put configuration information in this path --

        /usr/local/etc/snort

        but never in /etc. Was Snort originally installed from the pfSense package repo, or did someone perhaps manually install the package directly from FreeBSD ports?

        Bill

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        • K
          KWicky @jimp
          last edited by

          @jimp said in Manual installation of Snort:

          pkg install -fy pfSense-pkg-snort

          Thanks @jimp, tried that and got the following result...

          Updating pfSense-core repository catalogue...
          pkg: Repository pfSense-core load error: access repo file(/var/db/pkg/repo-pfSense-core.sqlite) failed: No such file or directory
          pkg: https://firmware.netgate.com/pkg/pfSense_factory-v2_4_3_amd64-core/meta.txz: No address record
          repository pfSense-core has no meta file, using default settings
          pkg: https://firmware.netgate.com/pkg/pfSense_factory-v2_4_3_amd64-core/packagesite.txz: No address record
          Unable to update repository pfSense-core
          Updating pfSense repository catalogue...
          pkg: Repository pfSense load error: access repo file(/var/db/pkg/repo-pfSense.sqlite) failed: No such file or directory
          pkg: https://firmware.netgate.com/pkg/pfSense_factory-v2_4_3_amd64-pfSense_factory-v2_4_3/meta.txz: No address record
          repository pfSense has no meta file, using default settings
          pkg: https://firmware.netgate.com/pkg/pfSense_factory-v2_4_3_amd64-pfSense_factory-v2_4_3/packagesite.txz: No address record
          Unable to update repository pfSense
          Error updating repositories!

          As mentioned previously, there's no snort folder within the /etc folder !
          I think this is what needs manually installed?

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          • K
            KWicky @bmeeks
            last edited by

            @bmeeks
            Hi Bill,
            Yes, Snort was originally installed from the pfSense pkg repo and there is no snort folder within the /usr/local/etc folder

            bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • bmeeksB
              bmeeks @KWicky
              last edited by

              @kwicky said in Manual installation of Snort:

              @bmeeks
              Hi Bill,
              Yes, Snort was originally installed from the pfSense pkg repo and there is no snort folder within the /usr/local/etc folder

              Your issues are much much bigger than a missing /usr/local/etc/snort folder. All those errors from pkg when trying to install Snort indicate your firewall's pkg system database is very broken.

              I would backup the configuration using the option under DIAGNOSTICS and reinstall pfSense from scratch, then restore the backed up configuration.

              Bill

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              • jimpJ
                jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
                last edited by

                From those errors it appears as though you do not have working DNS or network connectivity.

                You need to fix whatever is preventing the firewall from resolving those DNS records. It could be a missing gateway, improper DNS configuration, or several other causes.

                Safe to say at this point it has nothing at all to do with snort.

                Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

                Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

                Do not Chat/PM for help!

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                • K
                  KWicky @bmeeks
                  last edited by

                  @bmeeks
                  Hi Bill,
                  Sorry for the late response.
                  Do I reinstall pfSence using the Factory Defaults link in Diagnostics ?

                  bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • bmeeksB
                    bmeeks @KWicky
                    last edited by bmeeks

                    @kwicky said in Manual installation of Snort:

                    @bmeeks
                    Hi Bill,
                    Sorry for the late response.
                    Do I reinstall pfSence using the Factory Defaults link in Diagnostics ?

                    No, you will need to download the proper image file and install fresh. Did you buy a pfSense appliance from Netgate or did you roll your own? If you bought an appliance from Netgate, you should have support for a period of time and you can contact them for assistance. If you rolled your own hardware and installed pfSense, then you will need to repeat the installation process you used the first time.

                    Depending on exactly what is messed up in your system, using the Factory Defaults under DIAGNOSTICS may or may not fix the problem. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, though.

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                    • K
                      KWicky @jimp
                      last edited by

                      @jimp
                      Is there an image file I can download to reinstall the pfSense software from scratch?

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                      • K
                        KWicky @bmeeks
                        last edited by

                        @bmeeks
                        @jimp

                        Thanks for all your time and advice.
                        I followed the steps as mentioned in the Netgate forum which can be viewed here then rebooted my SG-4860 and everything came back and all packages updated.

                        Thanks Guys.

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                        • K
                          KWicky @KWicky
                          last edited by

                          @bmeeks
                          @jimp

                          Just viewed the Snort logs and seems everything went wonky donky when storm Hector hit the UK on June 14th.

                          bmeeksB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • bmeeksB
                            bmeeks @KWicky
                            last edited by

                            @kwicky said in Manual installation of Snort:

                            @bmeeks
                            @jimp

                            Just viewed the Snort logs and seems everything went wonky donky when storm Hector hit the UK on June 14th.

                            It's possible a power disturbance caused disk corruption on your firewall. Is your firewall on a UPS (uninterruptable power supply)? If not, you might want to consider adding one as that will protect you from power surges and brownouts/blackouts like those caused by storms.

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