How to perform a Clean Install of FRR

JamieGB

Hi,

Every time I uninstall FRR package and reinstall it, all my config remains.

I've removed every frr folder on the server, including frr.conf, rebooted, install FRR, all my config is back again. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?

FRR on my system is corrupt. Any changes I make in the GUI don't update the running or saved config. The FRR / BGPD services honor what I enter in the config and save, but reboot and it's back to hell.

How can I perform a clean install? This is a physical Netgate 2000 miles away from me.

Thanks.

JamieGB

This solution is related to another thread I posted.

First off, when you configure FRR or any of its subcomponents, you should note exactly which order you configured every component. When you want to, for example, delete a route map which is associated with a BGP Peer, the UI becomes divorced with the config file. The UI does not properly remove relationships between the two components (or if there's more links) and the config file is left in an unmanageable state (from the UI perspective).

To fix this issue:

Uninstall the frr package
SSH to PfSense and enter BSD shell (option 8)
Locate all residual frr files left behind (no removed from package removal) by running find / -name frr and find / regex '.*frr.*'
Delete all the files and folders related to frr. In my case, there is nothing else in the OS which matches the name frr so delete all you find unless you know something is not related to the frr module. To remove directories add the -r switch to rm, eg rm -s /var/run/frr
Download a new backup of PfSense
Open your .xml configuration file in your favorite XML editor (I use Notepad++)
Search for the term <frr
You will find all the PfSense configuration left behind when uninstalling the package should really remove it.
Delete out all <frr.... elements / sections of XML
Restore your backup to PfSense
Reinstall FRR

There you go. Clean install of FRR. You're welcome.

mountainlion

@jamiegb huge bro, thanks... I have had to do quite a few rebuilds and start from fresh over. I had previously did some of what you did but missed some steps.

Current issue is that now its out, and clean after a reboot. But I dont seem to have the ability to install any new packages, FRR of course being one of them. Seem the "repo" isnt there now. Not sure how. When I chose the available in GUI its empty...