"Unable to retrieve package information" after 2.3 updgrade

adoucette

I recently updated from 2.2.6 to 2.3 today. At first I had no internet connection, and couldn't load any of the pfsense pages. Eventually I had to log in with putty and reset to factory defaults. Then at least the server and its downstream clients had internet access.
Then it said that the system was busy upgrading packages in background. After a lot of time, running the commands here, and a number of reboots, now it just says "Unable to check for updates" on the dashboard and "Unable to retrieve package information." on the packages page.
How can I either get to a working pfsense 2.3 or go back to the prev version (I chose the "full backup" option before installing 2.3)?
Thanks,
Ari

jimp

Check here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=109690.0

I just expanded/added a bit in the section section, which may apply to your issue.

adoucette

Thank you, unfortunately no joy. Here's the output:

[2.3-RELEASE][root@pfSense.localdomain]/root: pkg info -x pfSense
pkg: Error parsing: /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: cannot open file /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: No such file or directory
pfSense-2.3
pfSense-Status_Monitoring-1.0_1
pfSense-base-2.3
pfSense-default-config-2.3
pfSense-kernel-pfSense-2.3
pfSense-rc-2.3
pfSense-repo-2.3
php56-pfSense-module-0.12
[2.3-RELEASE][root@pfSense.localdomain]/root: pkg info -x pkg
pkg: Error parsing: /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: cannot open file /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: No such file or directory
pkg-1.6.2

What should I try next?

jimp

Does "pkg update -f" succeed? What output does it show?

adoucette

pkg update -f gives:

[2.3-RELEASE][root@pfSense.localdomain]/root: pkg update -f
pkg: Error parsing: /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: cannot open file /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: No such file or directory
Updating FreeBSD repository catalogue...
Fetching meta.txz: 100%    944 B   0.9kB/s    00:01
Fetching packagesite.txz: 100%    5 MiB   2.8MB/s    00:02
Processing entries: 100%
FreeBSD repository update completed. 25094 packages processed.

Then this again:

[2.3-RELEASE][root@pfSense.localdomain]/root: pkg info -x pkg
pkg: Error parsing: /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: cannot open file /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf: No such file or directory
pkg-1.6.2

jimp

Visit System > Update, Update Settings tab. Ensure the first option it set ("Stable", or it might show "Follow snapshots and move to -RELEASE"), click Save.

Then try again.

adoucette

Had already tried that – thanks. (tried again just now anyway) Same error.

jimp

Does /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf exist? If so, where does it point?

: ls -l /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  52 Apr  6 09:19 /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf -> /usr/local/share/pfSense/pkg/repos/pfSense-repo.conf

Does /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/ exist?

What do you have in /usr/local/share/pfSense/pkg/repos/ ?

: ls -l /usr/local/share/pfSense/pkg/repos/
total 16
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  454 Apr 11 19:57 pfSense-repo-devel.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel   37 Apr 11 19:57 pfSense-repo-devel.descr
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  440 Apr 11 19:57 pfSense-repo.conf
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel   17 Apr 11 19:57 pfSense-repo.descr

What does this file contain?

: cat /usr/local/share/pfSense/pkg/repos/pfSense-repo.conf
FreeBSD: { enabled: no }

pfSense-core: {
  url: "pkg+http://pkg.pfsense.org/pfSense_v2_3_0_amd64-core",
  mirror_type: "srv",
  signature_type: "fingerprints",
  fingerprints: "/usr/local/share/pfSense/keys/pkg"
  enabled: yes
}

pfSense: {
  url: "pkg+http://pkg.pfsense.org/pfSense_v2_3_0_amd64-pfSense_v2_3_0",
  mirror_type: "srv",
  signature_type: "fingerprints",
  fingerprints: "/usr/local/share/pfSense/keys/pkg"
  enabled: yes
}

If all else fails, you can create /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf with the contents shown above (The FreeBSD line and below).

adoucette

/usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/ existed with the files given above, but /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf did not exist.
I created it with the text given.
After doing that, I ran "pkg update -f" and did the save button in the udpate settings.
Progress? Maybe…
I don't get the "Error parsing: /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf" error any more, but I still do get "unable to check for updates" on the dashboard and "Unable to retrieve package information" in the Package Manger.
System/Update/System Update shows "ERROR: Error trying to get packages list. Aborting" and "Unable to retrieve system versions"
So, still no dice. I'm wondering if I can just revert back to 2.2.6, as I ticked the "perform full backup" option before upgrading to 2.3. How would I go about that?

jimp

Before going that far, try this now:

pkg update -f
pkg upgrade -f

est

Check the pkg version - if the version ist 1.7.2 you must downgrade to 1.6.2.

I have this problem, after installing the xen-guest-utilities because the activated freeBSD repo install the new pkg version.

adoucette

est is correct - the pkg version is 1.7.2. However, I do not know how to downgrade pkg, and I was having this trouble before it was updated from 1.6.2 to 1.7.2.
I did run across a thread suggesting ramdisks were an issue, unticked that option, rebooted, no fix.
I also tested 'prefer ipv4', rebooted, no fix.
Clicked 'save' button on update settings again, rebooted, no fix.
So, I've re-installed pfSense 2.2.6 and restored an old config xml file.
Now things are back to working, can check for updates, etc in 2.2.6.
I may look to 2.3 at some point in the future.
Thank you again for the assistance.
Ari

jimp

@adoucette:

est is correct - the pkg version is 1.7.2. However, I do not know how to downgrade pkg, and I was having this trouble before it was updated from 1.6.2 to 1.7.2.

See https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=109690.0

Second section, last part, it mentions how to reinstall pkg to downgrade.

adoucette

Thanks always for the great support. Too late for my machine, perhaps, as I've already reverted to 2.2.6, but I had performed those commands early on after I discovered the problem.
R/
Ari

BrendanRC

Thought that I hosed my box in the 2.3 upgrade because the web-gui wasn't acting properly. For example; When I entered the package managers menu it would throw me an error that it was "unable to retrieve package information." The dashboard would also display "checking for updates" but never actually resolve whether or not the system was up to date.

After following some of Jimp's suggestions I was still unable to resolve both of these issues.

I did a fresh install of 2.3 to my local HDD and was still having the same issues. After turning off IPv6 configuration type on my WAN interface the "update status" was able to determine that my "system is on the latest version" and I was then able to navigate the package manager menus. Also, successfully installed Cron and Snort.

Hope this helps anyone else that was having issues after the upgrade.

Sash 0

Thanks BrendanRC,
disable IPv6 did the trick.
After this I can update my packages.

Is this already a known issue ?

gabs247

BrendanRC, you're a genius! I've been scratching my head with this problem for a few nights now…and I read the first part of this thread and tried checking the pkg version, a colleague suggested maybe the firewall was blocking something so I checked the logs...but nothing there either. Thankfully, you posted about how you solved it.

I thought it was a long shot, but I had setup DHCP6 Server for my LAN, and removing IPv6 from WAN and LAN has solved the problem, I can now get to my Package Manager!!!

As a note, on my Dashboard teh Obtaining Update Status would always go around in circles but never actually obtain the status…so they must be all related somehow?

magicalproductions

Wanted to post a note thanking you all for the insight. I wasn't able to list installed or available packages after the upgrade. Once I ran the update and upgrade commands the problem was solved. Much appreciate the resources and help here, great to be able to search and solve problems.

mesro09

hi everybody i did same problem
my system gave unable to check uptades
after unable to retrieve information
when i tried with Jimp commands i saw that missing libpkg.so.3" not found, required by "pkg"
so i did this solution
pkg-static bootstrap -f
and everything converted to work perfect

Jose J.

I was having the same problem, so I just added the Google DNS 8.8.8.8 . Go to System/General Setup, in the DNS Server Settings add: 8.8.8.8, dns.google , [WAN— with Internet Connection] ; saved the changes. After that try to check the Package Manager.