Clean install 2.4.5-p1 - cannot install packages - Please wait while the update system initializes
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Hi!
With all the drama on version 2.5.x CE I decided to go back to version 2.4.5-p1. I have my config file from version 2.4.5-p1 and I also have the installers so I'm fine there. I read some posts of people trying to go back to 2.4.5 and there are challenges for installing packages.
This time I decided not to immediately nuke my main firewall (still running 2.5.0) but setup a pfsense 2.4.5-p1 instance on my hyper-v server and see if I am able to install packages. If that succeeds I can safely go rollback my main unit.
So my pfsense 2.4.5-p1 installs fine on hyper-v, it has internet and I can see it immediately shows the option to update to version 2.5.1 on the main dashboard. So far so good.
I am using the following packages on my main pfSense router (running 2.5.0):
- pfblockerNG verions 3.0.0_16
- suricate 6.0.0_10
- openvpnclient export 1.6
- service watchdog 1.8.7_1
Now on the hyper-v pfsense running 2.4.5-p1 I did not change the Brache, just left is as-is and it says Latest stable version (2.5.x). I can find all those packages (and the same versions) in the Package Manager but I am not able to install them. It just hangs indefinitely with the following message: Please wait while the update system initializes.
The next step was for me was to change the Branch to Previous stable version (2.4.5 DEPRICATED). Now when I go back to the package manager I can find my packages but the versions are old! For example pfBlockerNG in the Package manager is available but it shows version 3.0.0_10. Same goes for Suricata which is now showing version 5.0.4_2.
The packages are old but they install fine now! So I thought let's install them, change the Branch and see what happens. After I change the Branch to Lates stable version (2.5.x) pfSense detects that there are updates for those installed packages but when I click the update option it gives me the same message as before and stays there indefinitely: Please wait while the update system initializes.
Does anyone else have the same experience as I have? Does it mean that when I go back to 2.4.5-p1 I will stay on those old package versions? As always thanks for helping and looking forward to your experiences :).
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Same here
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I ran into the same issue when I tried to roll back to 2.4.5-p1. I gave up and went back to 2.5.1.
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@rve52001
I went back to 2.5.0. In 2.5.1 my openvpn forwarded ports are not working. I also experienced other issues (nat stopped working for example) that only a reboot could solve.There is a new wireguard project and once that becomes user friendly to install and update I will be moving on to version 2.6 devel. Seems to be stable enough for home use and at least port forwarding with multi-wan and openvpn is working there.
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I would imagine this is all by design.
2.4.5 is based on FreeBSD 11.3
2.5.x is based on FreeBSD 12.2Additional packages were probably pinned to specific versions of pfsense and/or BSD. For instance Suricata 6.01, 5.05, and 4.1.10 were all released on the same day. 4.x version was probably tested and approved for 2.4.5, whereas 6.x was approved for use on 2.5.0.
Package manager is acting appropiately when '2.5.x' is selected, it shows the newer stuff but does not allow you to install them until the base system is upgraded. Backing it off to 2.4.5 would show the older packages, but allow you to install them on a 2.4.5 machine.
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@skogs yes correct. But I am not doing the 2.6 devel release. The other day a new snapshot nuked my 2.6 devel lab install. It is absurd that this is still not fixed. Luckily pfsense is free ad I am glad I don’t have the plus appliances. Then again a similar fix was released within days for pfsense Plus for this same multi wan bug….makes you wonder
My advice stay on 2.4.5 -p1 as long as you can. I am doing the same. I am using pfblockerng there but only ip blocking. I moved to dedicated AdGuard Home server on a raspberry pi for dnsbl blocking.