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Diagnostics > Backup & Restore : Found a condition where "Download configuration as XML" fails, returns an empty file.

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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  • S
    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
    last edited by Jul 13, 2024, 12:25 AM

    Not seeing that in initial testing with a 380KB file. What pfSense version?

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by Jul 13, 2024, 12:26 AM

      Hmm, I do with a 605KB file in there too though. Digging...

      G 1 Reply Last reply Jul 13, 2024, 7:20 AM Reply Quote 0
      • G
        Gertjan @stephenw10
        last edited by Gertjan Jul 13, 2024, 7:22 AM Jul 13, 2024, 7:20 AM

        @stephenw10

        pfSense 24.03.

        What happens is : see the "preg_replace" above : as soon as the input $data becomes 'to big' the return results becomes an empty array, and that explain the zero byte file.

        Coffee wasn't effective yesterday.
        This morning, I found an 11 years old Maximum length for a string for preg_replace() in PHP? which shows exactly what I (think) I'm experiencing.
        A solution is proposed.

        pfSense uses the default pcre.backtrack_limit = 1000000

        83b63cf5-2f35-4f47-882c-f871c9162ddb-image.png

        So :

        80dc276e-fbe4-475b-a5d5-224604bdcdbd-image.png

        Just before the preg_replace, 5 fold the value :

        ini_set('pcre.backtrack_limit', 5000000);

        solves the issue right away.
        Not sure if this is a clean / best way to handle things. My 4100 handles this just fine. Must be tested on smaller devices like the 1100 ? I hate to 'explode' numbers like this.

        If absurd, IMHO, to stash info in the pfSense config file anyway, but I know it can get big.
        The captive portal File Manager allows files to be uploaded up until 1 Mbytes, and the number of files has no constraint ...

        No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
        Edit : and where are the logs ??

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by Jul 13, 2024, 2:44 PM

          Mmm, the interesting this is that if I add files of at least the same size using the Filer package there is no problem. That is inside the installed packages section of course but the input data is still large.

          Also if you choose not to skip the rrd data the remaining file is usually huge. But still strips the package info fine.

          G 1 Reply Last reply Jul 14, 2024, 8:14 AM Reply Quote 0
          • G
            Gertjan @stephenw10
            last edited by Gertjan Jul 17, 2024, 12:54 PM Jul 14, 2024, 8:14 AM

            @stephenw10

            The xml (config file) is read and parsed first. Then the issue happens under mentioned conditions.
            The rdd data is added later on added. See line 188 in the backup.inc file.

            Btw : when I add a big data chunk using the File manager in the captive portals section, this data is stored outside of the <installedpackages>.*</installedpackages> XML block.
            I haven't tried the other way around : a package with a lot of data.

            Anyway, the preg_replace parses the entire xml file.
            The size of the chunk between <installedpackages>.*</installedpackages> is not big all for me.

            Take note : I found this situation because I had a 750 Mb (edit : 750 K bytes - see below) PDF file uploaded into the portal's file manager. It was just a 'test' and not essential for me.
            And normally, I never save the pfSense config without the package info as that backup would be quiet useless.

            No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
            Edit : and where are the logs ??

            S 1 Reply Last reply Jul 17, 2024, 11:19 AM Reply Quote 0
            • S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by Jul 15, 2024, 5:07 PM

              Opened a bug to track this: https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/15624

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @Gertjan
                last edited by Jul 17, 2024, 11:19 AM

                @Gertjan said in Diagnostics > Backup & Restore : Found a condition where "Download configuration as XML" fails, returns an empty file.:

                I had a 750 Mb PDF file uploaded into the portal's file manager.

                It allowed you to upload that? Do you mean 750kB?

                G 1 Reply Last reply Jul 17, 2024, 12:53 PM Reply Quote 0
                • G
                  Gertjan @stephenw10
                  last edited by Jul 17, 2024, 12:53 PM

                  @stephenw10

                  750 Kbytes - sorry.
                  The 1 M byte limit works.

                  No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                  Edit : and where are the logs ??

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by Jul 18, 2024, 4:46 PM

                    Patch on the redmine works for me.

                    G 1 Reply Last reply Jul 19, 2024, 6:01 AM Reply Quote 1
                    • G
                      Gertjan @stephenw10
                      last edited by Jul 19, 2024, 6:01 AM

                      @stephenw10

                      Same thing for me 👍

                      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                      Edit : and where are the logs ??

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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