Configuration Compatability

Stewart · May 17, 2018, 7:44 PM

I backed up a configuration on an old 2.0 (i386) box, spun up an instance of 2.4.1 (amd64) and imported the configuration. I'm having some issues but don't even know if those are compatible. The primary issue I'm facing now is the interface isn't setting right.

In Chrome:
I can log into the GUI but every time a click Save or click to another page I am taken back to the login page. I can then log in and it takes me to the appropriate page but no changes are made. I'd like to do a reinstall so I am consoled into the unit but it hangs at "Bootup Complete". That should mean I need to enable "Serial Terminal" on 115200 but, since I can't save the page I can't enable it.

In Firefox:
I get to the login page but when I attempt to log in it just beeps and reloads the login page.

Is there a way out of this rather than a reinstall and manually reconfiguring? Is it that I'm moving too far between versions?

heper · May 18, 2018, 10:52 AM

you might need to do some manual cleaning of the config file. (remove all package related stuff)

i theory it should work for the base system, but the package infrastructure has changed too much

jclear · May 18, 2018, 7:11 PM

Do you have secure shell (SSH) enabled? If you do you can SSH in as admin and select 4 to do a factory reset. Then at least you won't have to reinstall.

As to the console, you can restart your terminal emulator with with a new speed after it boots. Possibly the speed the old box was set to. Or perhaps the pfsense default if it really had trouble loading the config. The key is that the console speed can change with each stage during boot with FreeBSD (BIOS, Loader, /etc/ttys). As long as you can guess the last speed and reset the speed on your terminal to that, you should be able to recover.

Derelict · May 18, 2018, 7:14 PM

Why 2.4.1 on a new project like this? 2.4.3-p1 was released last week.

Stewart · May 21, 2018, 1:47 PM

@Derelict:

Why 2.4.1 on a new project like this? 2.4.3-p1 was released last week.

I created the new box some time ago and am just now moving it over. To reinstall, that's just the CD I have. Once the configuration was imported I was planning on upgrading.

Stewart · May 21, 2018, 1:48 PM

@Jed:

Do you have secure shell (SSH) enabled? If you do you can SSH in as admin and select 4 to do a factory reset. Then at least you won't have to reinstall.

As to the console, you can restart your terminal emulator with with a new speed after it boots. Possibly the speed the old box was set to. Or perhaps the pfsense default if it really had trouble loading the config. The key is that the console speed can change with each stage during boot with FreeBSD (BIOS, Loader, /etc/ttys). As long as you can guess the last speed and reset the speed on your terminal to that, you should be able to recover.

Nothing appears enabled. I can't SSH in and I can't enable it.

Stewart · May 21, 2018, 2:17 PM

On comparison, there are differences in the XML sections. The old version (8.0) has sysctl, pptpd, dnsmasq, bridge, and l7shaper that the new version (17.3) doesn't. The new version (17.3) has dhcpdv6, unbound, notifications, mailreports, and dyndnses that the old version (8.0) doesn't. I know some have to do with package differences but I wonder if some of the core changes scrambles the config on an import. I'm reinstalling and manually moving the relevant portions of the XML over. I'll see how that goes.