Pfsense updated to 2.8 and now get an crash report
-
I just updated to 2.8 and pfsense reports a crash error to do with php ?
Is it anything to worry about and how do I fix it please ?
Crash report begins. Anonymous machine information: amd64 15.0-CURRENT FreeBSD 15.0-CURRENT #1 RELENG_2_8_0-n256081-401ec5f685b9: Wed May 21 23:53:51 UTC 2025 root@freebsd:/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-CE-snapshots-2_8_0-main/obj/amd64/0q9vjGjc/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-CE-snapshots-2_8_0-main/sources/FreeBSD-src-RE Crash report details: PHP Errors: [29-May-2025 10:26:19 Europe/London] PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 536870912 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 20480 bytes) in /usr/local/bin/kea2unbound on line 528 [29-May-2025 10:31:57 Europe/London] PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 536870912 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 20480 bytes) in /usr/local/bin/kea2unbound on line 528 [29-May-2025 10:36:09 Europe/London] PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 536870912 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 20480 bytes) in /usr/local/bin/kea2unbound on line 528 [29-May-2025 10:48:05 Europe/London] PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 536870912 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 20480 bytes) in /usr/local/bin/kea2unbound on line 528 No FreeBSD crash data found. -
Just cleared it and rebooted again and it didn't come back - so guess it's ok now.
-
That error is probably caused by trying to load large lists from pfBlockerng?
If so, and it happens again, try setting DNSBL in Python mode.
-
@stephenw10 Yes, just looked and it has has come back. I'll try python mode.
I have noticed in the last couple of days, before the 2.8 update, that smokeping I run on docker has had an increased in packet loss. So I did also enlarge the ram pfsense has from 2 to 4 gb - I run pfsense as a proxmox VM. It could be the pfblocker lists had been enlarged from updates.
-
It's not the total available memory you're exhausting it's the 512MB limit in php. Which is why using python mode there should prevent it.
-
@stephenw10 Ah ok, I assumed memory pfsense is running on. Although swap usage has gone to zero now from about 20-30%
Is the 512MB limit 'hardcoded' or adjustable ?
-
You can set it in System > Advanced > Miscellaneous.
-
@stephenw10 Thanks, Is it wise to enlarge it leave it in python mode. At a quick glance at cpu usage it appears lower with python mode that could my imagination though. It runs around 25-30% with 2 virtual cores of a i5 6500t looking at the weekly average graph in proxmox.
-
I would leave it at the default 512MB and enable python mode. That is the expected/tested workaround there.
If you still see issues then revisit.
-
@stephenw10 Thanks Stephen, I appear to have around 3 million blocks in block lists.
-
Mmm, quite a lot!
-
@stephenw10 Probably too many. I went a bit overboard selecting lists.
As an aside, my whole set up EVERYTHING network from the ONT, switch, VOIP ATA, server to wifi uses around ~36 watts
-
@stephenw10 Is this something that may change in the future as a default setting, since it seems not using python mode just causes problems? Or that would be on the pfblocker dev's to make that change?
-
Mine locked-up early in the upgrade process but a quick push of the power button on my Vault caused it to powered down after a short delay and when it came back up it was still working fine on 2.7.2.
RPSmith...
-
It ultimately had problems and had to be reflashed!
RPSmith...
-
@MBILC said in Pfsense updated to 2.8 and now get an crash report:
Is this something that may change in the future as a default setting, since it seems not using python mode just causes problems?
Unclear. Python mode also introduces complexity many users don't need. But, yes, that would be a choice the pfBlockerNG dev makes IMO.
-
Changing over to python mode has significantly reduced cpu usage on my system from around 25% to less than 10%.
-
Just checking the power log for the server and showing a saving of about 75-100 watts per day since changing over to python mode. Or about £8 a year in electricity.
-
You mean Watt-hours per day? That's significant. Nice
-
@stephenw10 Yes, I meant Wh it went from ~900 watt hours to ~825 watt hours per day.
