[SOLVED] Unable to Install or Upgrade Packages

[Zetro]

@tman222

Yep - the re-activation with a new key instantly fixed it. Thank you again, I missed that in the steps

[delphin_007]

I made an interesting check to come closer to the prob.

At first look at the desktop GUI start page and note the Netgate Device ID.
Then go to the CLI via GUI menu and insert the command:
pfSense-repoc -D
In outcoming data you will also find the Netgate Device ID.
Compare these two !
To make it complete: input the same command in a seperate terminal CLI (NOT via GUI !) like Putty. And also compare the output Netgate Device ID.
Are the 3 ID´s identical ? Usually they should...

Seems to be especially interesting for original Netgate 6100 with the latest firmware 03.00.00.03t-uc-18

[rsagris]

I'm in the same boat, I can't install any packages due to "Another instance of pfSense-upgrade is running. Try again later" locking out updates from the WebGUI.

This has been an ongoing problem going back to at least v2.5, where either checking for system updates would stall the Web interface, or I couldn't install/update/upgrade packages due to persistent "Another instance of pfSense-upgrade is running. Try again later" that not even restart would clear. It happened on v2.6 on a fresh/pristine install. Package installs started off being extremely slow, taking an inordinate amount of time to go through each package dependency (download speeds were fine), then grinding to a halt with the WebGUI eventually stalling the browser window.

I'm running pfsense+ now and I ran into this issue on 23.01, on a fresh install, and now again on an updated 23.05 install (which I had not installed any packages at all on v23.01 before upgrading to 23.05), I was able to install 8 packages before this error cropped up. Now it won't go away after multiple restarts.

[delphin_007]

Up to now no new reaction of Netgate team. Ticket still open.
Seems to be complicated.
My guess: in case of 6100 a corrected update is necessary - but the error itself prevents it to be installed via usual way.
Still waiting for their reply...

[packagingrichard]

@delphin_007 Just checked it out, and oddly the device id using the gui's command prompt is different than what the system information widget and ssh give. I'm not sure if that means anything, but it is peculiar.

I've taken to installing packages via ssh until this gets resolved

[rcoleman-netgate]

@delphin_007 said in Unable to Install or Upgrade Packages:

Up to now no new reaction of Netgate team. Ticket still open.
Seems to be complicated.
My guess: in case of 6100 a corrected update is necessary - but the error itself prevents it to be installed via usual way.
Still waiting for their reply...

This specific issue is being looked at by our engineering team. We do not have an ETA or update yet -- when there is one it will be shared on the ticket .

[delphin_007]

@packagingrichard Exactly this is the point ! The same with my 6100 which has got the firmware-update.
The 4100 got no firmware-update and no error.
As you can see in their answer -> the team is still working on it.

[delphin_007]

Just got answer from Netgate:

"A fix for this issue is now available. Please run the following command from the console/ssh, then check for updates/packages.
pkg-static upgrade -fy pfSense-repoc"

Procedures are just running over my 6100...

[delphin_007]

Procedures worked. Commands were given via Putty ssh.
Must have been a complete update.
Whole process of updating (more than 300 packets) was visible in terminal and needed around 20 minutes.
Restarted system.
Everything seems to be ok now !
Updating of packets cannot be tested - because everything is up to date. ;-)
Than I testet installation of a new packet instead of. -> Worked well !

Problem seems to be solved now - thanks Netgate team !!

Regards from Ingo (Germany)

[tman222]

@delphin_007 said in Unable to Install or Upgrade Packages:

Just got answer from Netgate:

"A fix for this issue is now available. Please run the following command from the console/ssh, then check for updates/packages.
pkg-static upgrade -fy pfSense-repoc"

Procedures are just running over my 6100...

That fixed it for me as well - the errors are gone and I can now install packages as before. A big thank you to the Netgate team for a quick resolution to this issue.

[delphin_007]

@rcoleman-netgate
There is one question left after solving the issue (and system seems to work well again) - can you please help me ?

The answer of the device to the command "pfSense-repoc -D" starts with a first line which confuses me:

pfSense-repoc: si_get_packages: failed to run the pkg info command: /usr/local/sbin/pkg-static info -R --raw-format json-compact pfSense-pkg-*
pfSense-repoc: no pfSense packages installed
OS: FreeBSD
OS Version: 14.0-CURRENT
Platform: amd64
Product: Netgate pfSense Plus
Version: 23.05-RELEASE
FS type: zfs
Language: de_DE
Model: Netgate 6100
...

The answer of the comparable 4100 (which did not have the problem) does not include this first line. Rest of text looks similar.

Is this first line a hint to a left remain of the problem or can/should this be ignored ?

[mmenter]

Just wanted to post as I ran into this issue today. I was able to fix this by submitting a TAC ticket with my NDI and SN. The team found a mismatch in their database to which they fixed, and I was able to update all my packages.