cron package lead to boot issue

[luxopok]

Hello folks,

iam using the pfsense plus plackage with latest version and tried to implement a cronjob via the cron package.
After saving the cronjab. Pfsense reports me a programming bug

Crash report begins.  Anonymous machine information:

amd64
15.0-CURRENT
FreeBSD 15.0-CURRENT #0 plus-RELENG_24_11-n256407-1bbb3194162: Fri Nov 22 05:08:46 UTC 2024     root@freebsd:/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-Plus-snapshots-24_11-main/obj/amd64/AKWlAIiM/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-Plus-snapshots-24_11-main/sources/FreeBS

Crash report details:

PHP Errors:
[05-Jan-2025 16:19:32 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/services.inc:5293
Stack trace:
#0 /usr/local/pkg/cron.inc(27): configure_cron()
#1 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734) : eval()'d code(1): cron_sync_package()
#2 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734): eval()
#3 /etc/rc.start_packages(66): sync_package()
#4 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/services.inc on line 5293
[05-Jan-2025 16:22:09 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc:496
Stack trace:
#0 /etc/rc.bootup(169): convert_config()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc on line 496
[05-Jan-2025 16:22:10 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/services.inc:5293
Stack trace:
#0 /usr/local/pkg/cron.inc(27): configure_cron()
#1 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734) : eval()'d code(1): cron_sync_package()
#2 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734): eval()
#3 /etc/rc.start_packages(66): sync_package()
#4 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/services.inc on line 5293
[05-Jan-2025 16:35:11 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc:496
Stack trace:
#0 /etc/rc.bootup(169): convert_config()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc on line 496
[05-Jan-2025 16:35:12 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/services.inc:5293
Stack trace:
#0 /usr/local/pkg/cron.inc(27): configure_cron()
#1 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734) : eval()'d code(1): cron_sync_package()
#2 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734): eval()
#3 /etc/rc.start_packages(66): sync_package()
#4 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/services.inc on line 5293
[05-Jan-2025 16:38:18 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc:496
Stack trace:
#0 /etc/rc.bootup(169): convert_config()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc on line 496
[05-Jan-2025 16:38:19 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/services.inc:5293
Stack trace:
#0 /usr/local/pkg/cron.inc(27): configure_cron()
#1 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734) : eval()'d code(1): cron_sync_package()
#2 /etc/inc/pkg-utils.inc(734): eval()
#3 /etc/rc.start_packages(66): sync_package()
#4 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/services.inc on line 5293
[05-Jan-2025 16:44:43 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc:496
Stack trace:
#0 /etc/rc.bootup(169): convert_config()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc on line 496
[05-Jan-2025 16:56:07 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Cannot access offset of type string on string in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc:496
Stack trace:
#0 /etc/rc.bootup(169): convert_config()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /etc/inc/config.lib.inc on line 496



No FreeBSD crash data found.
			

I made a REALLY big mistake and reboots the pfsense, that leads to completly boot error.

Why is that cron package so buggy?? Crontabs via ssh will be wiped after time.

Iam new to pfsense, iam not sure how to handle this. Help Article tolds me to made a post here.

Thanks Guys!

[Gertjan]

@luxopok said in cron package lead to boot issue:

and tried to implement a cronjob via the cron package

Still console access ?
Not afraid of using vi ?

If you answered yes and no, access console, use option 8.
The 'viconfig' and search for the <cron> section.

It should (start) look like this (up until the closing </cron>:

	<cron>
		<item>
			<minute>*/1</minute>
			<hour>*</hour>
			<mday>*</mday>
			<month>*</month>
			<wday>*</wday>
			<who>root</who>
			<command>/usr/sbin/newsyslog</command>
		</item>
		<item>
			<minute>1</minute>
			<hour>3</hour>
			<mday>*</mday>
			<month>*</month>
			<wday>*</wday>
			<who>root</who>
			<command>/etc/rc.periodic daily</command>
		</item>
		<item>
			<minute>15</minute>
			<hour>4</hour>
			<mday>*</mday>
			<month>*</month>
			<wday>6</wday>
			<who>root</who>
			<command>/etc/rc.periodic weekly</command>
		</item>
		<item>
			<minute>30</minute>
			<hour>5</hour>
			<mday>1</mday>
			<month>*</month>
			<wday>*</wday>
			<who>root</who>
			<command>/etc/rc.periodic monthly</command>
		</item>
		<item>
			<minute>1,31</minute>
			<hour>0-5</hour>
			<mday>*</mday>
			<month>*</month>
.....

Find the one(s) you've added, and delete their de entire

		<item>
......
		</item>

now save, and boot again.

Btw : I'm using the con package for many years now.
I guess some error checking is done when you enter one yourself, but something has failed for you for sure.