Added pfsense upgrade roles

.gitignore

@@ -6,3 +6,8 @@ __pycache__/
 .ansible/
 fact_cache/
 *.swp
+.DS_Store
+.AppleDouble
+.LSOverride
+.Spotlight-V100
+.fseventsd

inventories/client_template/group_vars/pfsense.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+---
+# inventory/group_vars/pfsense.yml
+# Applied to all hosts in the [pfsense] group.
+
+# pfSense runs FreeBSD — Python may not be installed.
+# Using 'raw' module throughout the role avoids this entirely,
+# but set the interpreter discovery to auto for safety.
+ansible_python_interpreter: auto_silent
+
+# SSH connection settings tuned for pfSense/FreeBSD
+ansible_connection: ssh
+ansible_ssh_common_args: >-
+  -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no
+  -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null
+  -o ConnectTimeout=15
+  -o ServerAliveInterval=10
+  -o ServerAliveCountMax=3
+
+# pfSense's shell is tcsh by default; force sh for compatibility
+ansible_shell_type: sh
+ansible_shell_executable: /bin/sh
+
+# Set to your SSH key or use ansible_password
+# ansible_ssh_private_key_file: ~/.ssh/pfsense_rsa
+
+# Default upgrade settings (can be overridden per host in host_vars/)
+perform_upgrade: false
+allow_major_upgrade: false
+auto_reboot: true
+pkg_repo_update: true

inventories/client_template/hosts.yml

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ all:
     human_estimate_seconds: 2700
     change_freeze: false
     ansible_ssh_extra_args: "-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null"
-    
+
   children:
     # --- NETWORK LAYER ---
     firewalls:
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@ all:
           hosts:
             client-fw-01:
               ansible_host: "{{ FW_HOST }}"
-              
+
         pfsense:
           hosts:
             client-fw-01:
               ansible_host: "{{ FW_HOST }}"
+              ansible_port: 22222
+              ha_role: "primary"
+              #ha_peer: "client-fw-02"  # Uncomment if this node is part an HA pair
 
     # --- INFRASTRUCTURE ---
     hypervisors:
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ all:
           hosts:
             client-xcp-01:
               ansible_host: "{{ XCP_HOST }}"
-                  
+
     # --- WORKSTATIONS/SERVERS ---
     linux_hosts:
       hosts: {}
@@ -54,4 +57,3 @@ all:
         ansible_winrm_transport: ntlm
         ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation: validate
         ansible_port: 5986
-  

inventories/clients/brenex/group_vars/pfsense.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+---
+# inventory/group_vars/pfsense.yml
+# Applied to all hosts in the [pfsense] group.
+
+# pfSense runs FreeBSD — Python may not be installed.
+# Using 'raw' module throughout the role avoids this entirely,
+# but set the interpreter discovery to auto for safety.
+ansible_python_interpreter: auto_silent
+
+# SSH connection settings tuned for pfSense/FreeBSD
+ansible_connection: ssh
+ansible_ssh_common_args: >-
+  -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no
+  -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null
+  -o ConnectTimeout=15
+  -o ServerAliveInterval=10
+  -o ServerAliveCountMax=3
+
+# pfSense's shell is tcsh by default; force sh for compatibility
+ansible_shell_type: sh
+ansible_shell_executable: /bin/sh
+
+# Set to your SSH key or use ansible_password
+# ansible_ssh_private_key_file: ~/.ssh/pfsense_rsa
+
+# Default upgrade settings (can be overridden per host in host_vars/)
+perform_upgrade: false
+allow_major_upgrade: false
+auto_reboot: true
+pkg_repo_update: true

inventories/clients/brenex/hosts.yml

@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ all:
               vendor: "pfsense"
               ansible_host: "fw.brenex.com"
               ansible_port: 22222
-              
+              ha_role: "primary"
+              #ha_peer: "fw-ha-secondary"  # Uncomment if this node is part of an HA pair
+
     xcpng_pools:
       vars:
         ansible_become: false
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ all:
         shared_storage: false
       upgrade_order:
         - brenex-pool-01
-        
+
       hosts:
         brenex-pool-01:
           ansible_host: 192.168.123.11
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ all:
       vars:
         ansible_user: root
         os_family: "debian"
-      
+
       hosts:
         caddy-server:
           ansible_host: 192.168.123.16
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ all:
           ansible_host: 192.168.123.146
         graylog-server:
           ansible_host: 192.168.123.16
-    
+
 
 
     windows_hosts:

playbooks/pfsense_manage.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+# pfSense Upgrade Playbook
+# Upgrades pfSense systems within their current version branch.
+# Detects available stable releases and reports or applies upgrades.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -i inventory/hosts.yml
+#   ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -i inventory/hosts.yml --tags check   # dry-run only
+#   ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -i inventory/hosts.yml -e "perform_upgrade=true"
+#   ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -i inventory/hosts.yml -e "perform_upgrade=true allow_major_upgrade=true"
+
+- name: pfSense Upgrade
+  hosts: pfsense
+  gather_facts: false
+  serial: 1                          # Upgrade one host at a time to preserve redundancy
+
+  vars:
+    perform_upgrade: false           # Safety gate — must be explicitly set to true
+    allow_major_upgrade: false       # Set true to allow crossing major version branches
+    reboot_timeout: 300              # Seconds to wait for host after reboot
+    upgrade_check_timeout: 120       # Seconds before pfSense-upgrade check times out
+
+  roles:
+    - pfsense_upgrade

roles/pfsense_upgrade/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# pfSense Ansible Upgrade Playbook
+
+Upgrades pfSense CE (and pfSense Plus) systems safely via Ansible.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Version detection** — reads `/etc/version`, parses branch, patch level, and release type
+- **In-branch update check** — runs `pfSense-upgrade -c` to detect available patch releases within your running branch (e.g. 2.7.2 → 2.7.3)
+- **New stable branch detection** — queries upstream GitHub for the latest stable version and warns if a newer branch (e.g. 2.8.x) has been released
+- **Safety gates** — upgrade is a no-op unless `perform_upgrade=true` is explicitly passed
+- **Branch-crossing protection** — requires `allow_major_upgrade=true` to upgrade across major/minor branches
+- **Pre-upgrade config backup** — triggers pfSense's own PHP backup function before touching anything
+- **Serial execution** — `serial: 1` ensures HA pairs are never upgraded simultaneously
+- **Post-upgrade verification** — confirms version changed, services are listening, and the system is up-to-date
+
+---
+
+## Requirements
+
+- Ansible ≥ 2.12
+- SSH enabled on pfSense (`System → Advanced → Admin Access → Enable Secure Shell`)
+- Admin user with shell access
+- The `raw` module is used throughout — **Python is not required on pfSense**
+
+---
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### 1. Configure inventory
+
+Edit `inventory/hosts.yml` with your pfSense host IPs and SSH user:
+
+```yaml
+fw-site-a:
+  ansible_host: 192.168.1.1
+  ansible_user: admin
+```
+
+### 2. Configure SSH auth
+
+Either set a private key in `inventory/group_vars/pfsense.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+ansible_ssh_private_key_file: ~/.ssh/pfsense_rsa
+```
+
+Or use password auth (add `ansible_password: yourpassword` per host in `host_vars/`).
+
+### 3. Check for available upgrades (safe, no changes made)
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook upgrade.yml
+```
+
+Or with explicit tag:
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook upgrade.yml --tags check
+```
+
+### 4. Apply in-branch upgrades
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -e "perform_upgrade=true"
+```
+
+### 5. Apply upgrade and allow branch crossing (e.g. 2.7 → 2.8)
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -e "perform_upgrade=true allow_major_upgrade=true"
+```
+
+### 6. Target a single host
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook upgrade.yml -l fw-site-a -e "perform_upgrade=true"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Variables Reference
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| `perform_upgrade` | `false` | Safety gate — must be `true` to apply upgrades |
+| `allow_major_upgrade` | `false` | Permit upgrades across branch boundaries |
+| `auto_reboot` | `true` | Reboot automatically after upgrade |
+| `reboot_timeout` | `300` | Seconds to wait for host after reboot |
+| `upgrade_check_timeout` | `120` | Timeout for pfSense-upgrade check |
+| `pkg_repo_update` | `true` | Run `pkg update -f` before checking |
+| `skip_backup_check` | `false` | Skip pre-upgrade config backup step |
+| `notify_webhook_url` | `""` | Optional Slack/Teams webhook for results |
+| `pfsense_release_url` | GitHub raw URL | Where to fetch upstream latest version |
+
+---
+
+## How Update Detection Works
+
+### In-branch updates
+`pfSense-upgrade -d -c` is run on the host. It checks the configured pfSense pkg repository (same branch as running system) and returns non-zero if a newer package set is available. The playbook parses the exit code and output to determine availability.
+
+### New stable branch detection
+The playbook fetches the `version` file from the pfSense CE GitHub repository (`master` branch) using FreeBSD `fetch`. The major.minor of the upstream version is compared to the running system's branch. If they differ and upstream is newer, a warning is displayed regardless of `perform_upgrade`.
+
+> Note: The GitHub master branch reflects the latest stable CE release. Adjust `pfsense_release_url` if you track a specific branch or use an internal mirror.
+
+---
+
+## HA / CARP Considerations
+
+- `serial: 1` in the playbook ensures only one host upgrades at a time
+- For CARP HA pairs, upgrade the **secondary first** so the primary continues to pass traffic
+- Group your HA pairs in the inventory and order hosts accordingly
+- Consider adding a task to demote the primary before upgrading if you need zero-downtime
+
+---
+
+## File Structure
+
+```
+pfsense-upgrade/
+├── ansible.cfg
+├── upgrade.yml                        # Main playbook entry point
+├── inventory/
+│   ├── hosts.yml                      # Your pfSense hosts
+│   └── group_vars/
+│       └── pfsense.yml                # Shared SSH + default vars
+└── roles/
+    └── pfsense_upgrade/
+        ├── defaults/
+│       └── main.yml               # All default variable values
+        └── tasks/
+            ├── main.yml           # Task orchestration
+            ├── preflight.yml      # SSH check, disk space, binary check
+            ├── version_detect.yml # Read and parse current version
+            ├── update_check.yml   # pfSense-upgrade check + upstream compare
+            ├── upgrade.yml        # Backup + execute upgrade
+            └── verify.yml         # Post-reboot version + service check
+```

roles/pfsense_upgrade/ansible.cfg

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[defaults]
+inventory          = inventory/hosts.yml
+roles_path         = roles
+host_key_checking  = False
+timeout            = 30
+forks              = 1                 # Never upgrade pfSense hosts in parallel
+stdout_callback    = yaml
+callbacks_enabled  = timer, profile_tasks
+
+[ssh_connection]
+ssh_args           = -o ControlMaster=no -o ControlPersist=no
+pipelining         = False             # Disabled — pfSense/FreeBSD SSH may not support it

roles/pfsense_upgrade/defaults/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/defaults/main.yml
+# Override any of these in group_vars, host_vars, or at the CLI with -e
+
+# --- Safety gates ---
+perform_upgrade: false          # Must explicitly set to true to apply upgrades
+allow_major_upgrade: false      # Set true to permit branch-crossing upgrades (e.g. 2.7 → 2.8)
+skip_backup_check: false        # Set true to skip the pre-upgrade config backup step
+
+# --- Upgrade behavior ---
+auto_reboot: true               # Reboot automatically after upgrade if required
+reboot_timeout: 300             # Seconds to wait for host to come back after reboot
+upgrade_check_timeout: 120      # Timeout for pfSense-upgrade version check
+pkg_repo_update: true           # Run pkg update before checking for upgrades
+
+# --- Notification ---
+# Optional: set to a Slack/Teams webhook URL to post upgrade results
+notify_webhook_url: ""
+
+# --- pfSense paths ---
+pfsense_version_file: /etc/version
+pfsense_version_patch_file: /etc/version.patch
+pfsense_version_buildtime: /etc/version.buildtime
+pfsense_upgrade_bin: /usr/local/sbin/pfSense-upgrade
+pfsense_config_backup_path: /cf/conf/backup
+
+# --- Release tracking ---
+# Netgate publishes release notes/versions at this URL (CE edition)
+pfsense_release_url: "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pfsense/pfsense/master/src/etc/version"

roles/pfsense_upgrade/hosts.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+# inventory/hosts.yml
+# Define your pfSense hosts here.
+# Group them by site, role, or redundancy pair as needed.
+
+all:
+  children:
+    pfsense:
+      children:
+
+        # --- Primary/standalone firewalls ---
+        pfsense_primary:
+          hosts:
+            fw-site-a:
+              ansible_host: 192.168.1.1
+              ansible_user: admin
+            fw-site-b:
+              ansible_host: 10.10.0.1
+              ansible_user: admin
+
+        # --- HA pairs (upgrade sequentially — serial: 1 ensures this) ---
+        pfsense_ha_pair_1:
+          hosts:
+            fw-ha-primary:
+              ansible_host: 172.16.0.1
+              ansible_user: admin
+            fw-ha-secondary:
+              ansible_host: 172.16.0.2
+              ansible_user: admin

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/carp.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/carp.yml
+# Handles CARP/HA awareness during upgrades.
+# Only runs when ha_peer is defined.
+#
+# ha_role: backup  → minimal pre-checks, upgrade proceeds normally
+# ha_role: primary → full CARP state verification, forced demotion, peer version check
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Backup node logic — runs on the backup before it upgrades
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: "[CARP/backup] Verify primary peer is reachable before upgrading backup"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: echo "ping"
+  delegate_to: "{{ ha_peer }}"
+  register: _peer_reachable
+  failed_when: _peer_reachable.rc != 0
+  when: ha_role == 'backup'
+
+- name: "[CARP/backup] Check current CARP state on this node"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    php -r "require_once('/etc/inc/interfaces.inc');
+    \$carp = get_carp_status();
+    echo \$carp;"
+  register: _backup_carp_state
+  changed_when: false
+  when: ha_role == 'backup'
+
+- name: "[CARP/backup] Display CARP state"
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "CARP state on {{ inventory_hostname }} (backup): {{ _backup_carp_state.stdout | trim }}"
+  when: ha_role == 'backup'
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Primary node logic — runs on the primary before it upgrades
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# --- Step 1: Verify peer is reachable ---
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Verify backup peer {{ ha_peer }} is reachable"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: echo "ping"
+  delegate_to: "{{ ha_peer }}"
+  register: _peer_reachable
+  failed_when: _peer_reachable.rc != 0
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+# --- Step 2: Verify peer is on the upgraded version ---
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Read version on backup peer {{ ha_peer }}"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: cat {{ pfsense_version_file }}
+  delegate_to: "{{ ha_peer }}"
+  register: _peer_version_raw
+  changed_when: false
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Set peer version fact"
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    ha_peer_version: "{{ _peer_version_raw.stdout | trim }}"
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Fail if backup peer is not on a newer version than primary"
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      Backup peer {{ ha_peer }} is running {{ ha_peer_version }}, which is the same
+      as or older than this primary ({{ pfsense_current_version }}).
+      Upgrade the backup node first before proceeding with the primary.
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - ha_peer_version == pfsense_current_version
+
+# --- Step 3: Verify backup peer is in MASTER CARP state ---
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Check CARP state on backup peer {{ ha_peer }}"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    ifconfig | grep -o 'carp: [A-Z]*' | awk '{print $2}' | sort -u
+  delegate_to: "{{ ha_peer }}"
+  register: _peer_carp_state_raw
+  changed_when: false
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Fail if backup peer is not MASTER"
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      Backup peer {{ ha_peer }} CARP state is '{{ _peer_carp_state_raw.stdout | trim }}'.
+      Expected MASTER. Resolve CARP state before upgrading the primary.
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - "'MASTER' not in _peer_carp_state_raw.stdout"
+
+# --- Step 4: Force demotion of primary ---
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Force CARP demotion on this node (set advskew to 254)"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    php -r "
+    require_once('/etc/inc/interfaces.inc');
+    interfaces_carp_set_maintenancemode(true);
+    "
+  register: _carp_demotion
+  changed_when: true
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Wait for CARP failover to settle"
+  ansible.builtin.pause:
+    seconds: 15
+
+# --- Step 5: Re-verify backup peer has taken MASTER ---
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Re-check CARP state on backup peer after demotion"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    ifconfig | grep -o 'carp: [A-Z]*' | awk '{print $2}' | sort -u
+  delegate_to: "{{ ha_peer }}"
+  register: _peer_carp_recheck
+  changed_when: false
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Fail if backup peer did not take MASTER after demotion"
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      Backup peer {{ ha_peer }} did not take MASTER after primary demotion.
+      CARP state is '{{ _peer_carp_recheck.stdout | trim }}'.
+      Investigate CARP before proceeding — primary has been demoted but backup is not MASTER.
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - "'MASTER' not in _peer_carp_recheck.stdout"
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] CARP demotion confirmed — backup is MASTER, safe to upgrade primary"
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      {{ ha_peer }} is MASTER. {{ inventory_hostname }} is demoted.
+      Proceeding with primary upgrade.
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Post-upgrade: restore CARP on primary and verify state
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Re-enable CARP maintenance mode off (restore advskew)"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    php -r "
+    require_once('/etc/inc/interfaces.inc');
+    interfaces_carp_set_maintenancemode(false);
+    "
+  register: _carp_restore
+  changed_when: true
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Wait for CARP state to stabilize after restore"
+  ansible.builtin.pause:
+    seconds: 20
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Verify primary has reclaimed MASTER"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    ifconfig | grep -o 'carp: [A-Z]*' | awk '{print $2}' | sort -u
+  register: _primary_carp_final
+  changed_when: false
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] Warn if primary did not reclaim MASTER"
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      WARNING: Primary CARP state is '{{ _primary_carp_final.stdout | trim }}' — expected MASTER.
+      This may resolve on its own. Check CARP status on both nodes manually.
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - "'MASTER' not in _primary_carp_final.stdout"
+
+- name: "[CARP/primary] CARP state confirmed restored"
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "{{ inventory_hostname }} has reclaimed MASTER. HA pair is fully operational."
+  when:
+    - ha_role == 'primary'
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - "'MASTER' in _primary_carp_final.stdout"

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/main.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/main.yml
+
+- name: Include pre-flight checks
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: preflight.yml
+  tags: [always, preflight, check]
+
+- name: Include version detection
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: version_detect.yml
+  tags: [always, check]
+
+- name: Include update check
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: update_check.yml
+  tags: [always, check]
+
+- name: Include CARP/HA pre-upgrade logic
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: carp.yml
+  tags: [always, check, carp]
+  when: ha_peer is defined
+
+- name: Include upgrade execution
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: upgrade.yml
+  tags: [upgrade]
+  when: perform_upgrade | bool
+
+- name: Include CARP/HA post-upgrade restore
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: carp.yml
+  tags: [upgrade, carp]
+  when:
+    - ha_peer is defined
+    - perform_upgrade | bool
+
+- name: Include post-upgrade verification
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: verify.yml
+  tags: [upgrade, verify]
+  when: perform_upgrade | bool

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/preflight.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/preflight.yml
+# Validate SSH connectivity, confirm host is pfSense, check disk space.
+
+- name: Verify SSH connectivity to pfSense host
+  ansible.builtin.raw: echo "ping"
+  register: _ssh_test
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: _ssh_test.rc != 0
+
+- name: Confirm host is running pfSense (check version file)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: test -f {{ pfsense_version_file }} && echo "pfsense_ok"
+  register: _pfsense_check
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: "'pfsense_ok' not in _pfsense_check.stdout"
+
+- name: Check available disk space on root filesystem (must be ≥ 200 MB)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    df -m / | awk 'NR==2 {print $4}'
+  register: _disk_avail
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Fail if disk space is insufficient
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      Host {{ inventory_hostname }} only has {{ _disk_avail.stdout | trim }} MB free on /.
+      At least 200 MB is required to safely upgrade pfSense.
+  when: (_disk_avail.stdout | trim | int) < 200
+
+- name: Check that pfSense-upgrade binary exists
+  ansible.builtin.raw: test -x {{ pfsense_upgrade_bin }} && echo "bin_ok"
+  register: _bin_check
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: "'bin_ok' not in _bin_check.stdout"
+
+- name: Pre-flight summary
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      Pre-flight OK — {{ inventory_hostname }}:
+      disk free={{ _disk_avail.stdout | trim }}MB,
+      pfSense-upgrade binary present.

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/update_check.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/update_check.yml
+# Checks for available upgrades using pfSense-upgrade -c and pkg version.
+# Also queries upstream for the latest stable release on this branch.
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. Refresh the local pkg repository metadata
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Update pkg repository metadata
+  ansible.builtin.raw: pkg update -f 2>&1
+  register: _pkg_update
+  changed_when: false
+  when: pkg_repo_update | bool
+  timeout: "{{ upgrade_check_timeout }}"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Run pfSense-upgrade in check-only mode
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Run pfSense-upgrade --check (dry run)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    {{ pfsense_upgrade_bin }} -d -c 2>&1
+  register: _upgrade_check
+  changed_when: false
+  timeout: "{{ upgrade_check_timeout }}"
+  # pfSense-upgrade exits 0 when up-to-date, non-zero when upgrade available.
+  # We capture both cases.
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Parse upgrade check output
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    upgrade_check_stdout: "{{ _upgrade_check.stdout | trim }}"
+    upgrade_check_rc: "{{ _upgrade_check.rc }}"
+    # True if the tool reports an update is available
+    upgrade_available: >-
+      {{
+        _upgrade_check.rc != 0 or
+        'Upgraded' in _upgrade_check.stdout or
+        'update' in _upgrade_check.stdout | lower and
+        'up to date' not in _upgrade_check.stdout | lower
+      }}
+    # Attempt to extract the new version string from the upgrade check output
+    # pfSense-upgrade typically prints: "pfSense-upgrade: New version available: 2.7.3-RELEASE"
+    upgrade_available_version: >-
+      {{
+        _upgrade_check.stdout
+        | regex_search('(\d+\.\d+\.\d+[-a-zA-Z0-9]*)', '\1')
+        | first | default('unknown')
+      }}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. Check pkg for pending package updates (captures sub-component updates)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Check for pending pkg upgrades (outdated packages)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: pkg version -l '<' 2>&1 | head -40
+  register: _pkg_outdated
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Count outdated packages
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    pkg_outdated_count: "{{ _pkg_outdated.stdout_lines | reject('match', '^\\s*$') | list | length }}"
+    pkg_outdated_list: "{{ _pkg_outdated.stdout | trim }}"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4. Detect the latest stable release for this branch via GitHub
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Fetch latest stable release version from Netgate/pfSense repo
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    fetch -q -o - "{{ pfsense_release_url }}" 2>/dev/null || echo "fetch_failed"
+  register: _upstream_version_raw
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Parse upstream latest stable version
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    upstream_version: "{{ _upstream_version_raw.stdout | trim }}"
+    upstream_fetch_ok: "{{ 'fetch_failed' not in _upstream_version_raw.stdout }}"
+
+- name: Derive upstream branch (major.minor)
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    upstream_major_minor: >-
+      {{
+        upstream_version
+        | regex_replace('^(\d+\.\d+).*$', '\1')
+        | default(pfsense_major_minor)
+      }}
+  when: upstream_fetch_ok | bool
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 5. Compare branches — detect if a newer stable branch exists upstream
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Determine if a newer major release branch is available
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    new_major_release_available: >-
+      {{
+        upstream_fetch_ok | bool and
+        (upstream_major_minor | string) != (pfsense_major_minor | string) and
+        (upstream_major_minor.split('.')[0] | int > pfsense_major_minor.split('.')[0] | int) or
+        (upstream_major_minor.split('.')[0] | int == pfsense_major_minor.split('.')[0] | int and
+         upstream_major_minor.split('.')[1] | int > pfsense_major_minor.split('.')[1] | int)
+      }}
+  when: upstream_fetch_ok | bool
+
+- name: Default new_major_release_available when fetch failed
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    new_major_release_available: false
+  when: not (upstream_fetch_ok | bool)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 6. Print the full update status report
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Display update status report
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg:
+      - "============================================================"
+      - " Update Status: {{ inventory_hostname }}"
+      - "============================================================"
+      - " Current version  : {{ pfsense_current_version }}"
+      - " Current branch   : {{ pfsense_major_minor }}"
+      - "------------------------------------------------------------"
+      - " In-branch update : {{ 'YES — ' ~ upgrade_available_version if upgrade_available | bool else 'No — already up to date' }}"
+      - " Outdated pkgs    : {{ pkg_outdated_count }} package(s) behind"
+      - "------------------------------------------------------------"
+      - " Upstream latest  : {{ upstream_version if upstream_fetch_ok | bool else 'Could not reach upstream' }}"
+      - " Upstream branch  : {{ upstream_major_minor if upstream_fetch_ok | bool else 'N/A' }}"
+      - " New branch avail : {{ 'YES — ' ~ upstream_version if new_major_release_available | bool else 'No' }}"
+      - "------------------------------------------------------------"
+      - " perform_upgrade  : {{ perform_upgrade | bool }}"
+      - " allow_major_upg  : {{ allow_major_upgrade | bool }}"
+      - "============================================================"
+
+- name: Warn if a new major release branch is available but not allowed
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      WARNING: pfSense {{ upstream_version }} is available on branch {{ upstream_major_minor }},
+      which is newer than your running branch {{ pfsense_major_minor }}.
+      To upgrade across branches, re-run with: -e "perform_upgrade=true allow_major_upgrade=true"
+  when:
+    - new_major_release_available | bool
+    - not (allow_major_upgrade | bool)
+
+- name: Warn if perform_upgrade is false but upgrades are available
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      DRY RUN — upgrades are available but perform_upgrade=false.
+      Re-run with -e "perform_upgrade=true" to apply.
+  when:
+    - (upgrade_available | bool) or (pkg_outdated_count | int > 0)
+    - not (perform_upgrade | bool)

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/upgrade.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/upgrade.yml
+# Applies the upgrade after safety checks pass.
+# Only runs when perform_upgrade=true.
+
+- name: Abort if no upgrade is available (nothing to do)
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      No in-branch upgrade is available for {{ inventory_hostname }}.
+      Current version {{ pfsense_current_version }} is already the latest on branch {{ pfsense_major_minor }}.
+      Skipping upgrade.
+  when:
+    - not (upgrade_available | bool)
+    - not (new_major_release_available | bool and allow_major_upgrade | bool)
+
+- name: End play for this host if nothing to upgrade
+  ansible.builtin.meta: end_host
+  when:
+    - not (upgrade_available | bool)
+    - not (new_major_release_available | bool and allow_major_upgrade | bool)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Branch-crossing guard
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Abort if major upgrade is available but not explicitly allowed
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      A new pfSense branch is available ({{ upstream_version }}) but allow_major_upgrade=false.
+      Review the release notes for {{ upstream_version }} before upgrading across branches.
+      Re-run with -e "allow_major_upgrade=true" when ready.
+  when:
+    - new_major_release_available | bool
+    - not (allow_major_upgrade | bool)
+    - not (upgrade_available | bool)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Pre-upgrade config backup
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Trigger config backup via PHP (writes to /cf/conf/backup/)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    php -r "require_once('/etc/inc/config.inc');
+    require_once('/etc/inc/util.inc');
+    backup_config();"
+  register: _backup_result
+  changed_when: false
+  when: not (skip_backup_check | bool)
+
+- name: Confirm backup file was created
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    ls -t {{ pfsense_config_backup_path }}/config-*.xml 2>/dev/null | head -1
+  register: _backup_file
+  changed_when: false
+  when: not (skip_backup_check | bool)
+
+- name: Display backup file path
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "Config backup written to: {{ _backup_file.stdout | trim }}"
+  when:
+    - not (skip_backup_check | bool)
+    - _backup_file.stdout | trim | length > 0
+
+- name: Warn if no backup file found
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: >
+      WARNING: Could not confirm config backup was written.
+      Check {{ pfsense_config_backup_path }} manually before proceeding.
+  when:
+    - not (skip_backup_check | bool)
+    - _backup_file.stdout | trim | length == 0
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Execute the upgrade
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: "UPGRADE — Running pfSense-upgrade on {{ inventory_hostname }}"
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    {{ pfsense_upgrade_bin }} -d -y 2>&1
+  register: _upgrade_result
+  async: 600           # pfSense upgrades can take several minutes
+  poll: 10
+  timeout: 620
+  # The upgrade reboots the host — the connection will drop. That is expected.
+  failed_when: >
+    _upgrade_result.rc is defined and
+    _upgrade_result.rc != 0 and
+    'reboot' not in _upgrade_result.stdout | lower and
+    'Restarting' not in _upgrade_result.stdout
+
+- name: Display upgrade output
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg: "{{ _upgrade_result.stdout_lines | default(['(no output captured — likely rebooted mid-stream)']) }}"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Wait for host to come back after reboot
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- name: Wait for pfSense to reboot and become reachable
+  ansible.builtin.wait_for_connection:
+    delay: 30
+    timeout: "{{ reboot_timeout }}"
+    sleep: 10
+  when: auto_reboot | bool

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/verify.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/verify.yml
+# Verifies the system is healthy after upgrade and reports the new version.
+
+- name: Wait an additional grace period before verifying
+  ansible.builtin.pause:
+    seconds: 15
+
+- name: Read post-upgrade version
+  ansible.builtin.raw: cat {{ pfsense_version_file }}
+  register: _new_version_raw
+  changed_when: false
+  retries: 3
+  delay: 10
+
+- name: Set post-upgrade version fact
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    pfsense_new_version: "{{ _new_version_raw.stdout | trim }}"
+
+- name: Verify pfSense web GUI is responding (port 443)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    fetch -q -o /dev/null --no-verify-peer https://127.0.0.1/ 2>&1 || true
+  register: _webgui_check
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Check that key pfSense services are running
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    sockstat -l | grep -E ':(53|443|80)\b' | wc -l | tr -d ' '
+  register: _services_check
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Run pfSense-upgrade --check post-upgrade (confirm up-to-date)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    {{ pfsense_upgrade_bin }} -d -c 2>&1
+  register: _post_upgrade_check
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+
+- name: Upgrade result summary
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg:
+      - "============================================================"
+      - " Upgrade Result: {{ inventory_hostname }}"
+      - "============================================================"
+      - " Previous version : {{ pfsense_current_version }}"
+      - " New version      : {{ pfsense_new_version }}"
+      - " Version changed  : {{ pfsense_current_version != pfsense_new_version }}"
+      - " Listening ports  : {{ _services_check.stdout | trim }} found (DNS/HTTP/HTTPS)"
+      - " Post-upg check   : {{ 'Up to date' if _post_upgrade_check.rc == 0 else 'May still have pending updates' }}"
+      - "============================================================"
+
+- name: Fail if version did not change after upgrade attempt
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >
+      pfSense version on {{ inventory_hostname }} is still {{ pfsense_new_version }}
+      after upgrade attempt (was {{ pfsense_current_version }}).
+      The upgrade may not have applied correctly — check the host manually.
+  when:
+    - pfsense_current_version == pfsense_new_version
+    - upgrade_available | bool

roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/version_detect.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+# roles/pfsense_upgrade/tasks/version_detect.yml
+# Reads version info from the running pfSense host and sets facts.
+
+- name: Read current pfSense version string
+  ansible.builtin.raw: cat {{ pfsense_version_file }}
+  register: _raw_version
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Read patch level (if present)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    test -f {{ pfsense_version_patch_file }} && cat {{ pfsense_version_patch_file }} || echo "0"
+  register: _raw_patch
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Read build timestamp (if present)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    test -f {{ pfsense_version_buildtime }} && cat {{ pfsense_version_buildtime }} || echo "unknown"
+  register: _raw_buildtime
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Read pfSense edition (CE vs Plus)
+  ansible.builtin.raw: >
+    pkg info pfSense 2>/dev/null | grep -i '^Name' | awk '{print $3}' || echo "pfSense"
+  register: _raw_edition
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Detect CPU architecture
+  ansible.builtin.raw: uname -m
+  register: _raw_arch
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Set version facts
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    pfsense_current_version: "{{ _raw_version.stdout | trim }}"
+    pfsense_current_patch: "{{ _raw_patch.stdout | trim }}"
+    pfsense_build_time: "{{ _raw_buildtime.stdout | trim }}"
+    pfsense_edition: "{{ _raw_edition.stdout | trim }}"
+    pfsense_arch: "{{ _raw_arch.stdout | trim }}"
+    # Parse major.minor from version string (e.g. "2.7.2-RELEASE" → "2.7")
+    pfsense_major_minor: >-
+      {{
+        (_raw_version.stdout | trim)
+        | regex_replace('^(\d+\.\d+).*$', '\1')
+      }}
+    # Parse patch version integer (e.g. "2.7.2-RELEASE" → 2)
+    pfsense_patch_int: >-
+      {{
+        (_raw_version.stdout | trim)
+        | regex_replace('^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+).*$', '\3')
+        | default('0')
+      }}
+    # Determine if this is a RELEASE, RC, BETA, or ALPHA
+    pfsense_release_type: >-
+      {{
+        (_raw_version.stdout | trim)
+        | regex_replace('^.*-(RELEASE|RC\d*|BETA\d*|ALPHA\d*|DEVELOPMENT).*$', '\1')
+        | default('UNKNOWN')
+      }}
+
+- name: Display detected version info
+  ansible.builtin.debug:
+    msg:
+      - "Host          : {{ inventory_hostname }}"
+      - "Edition       : {{ pfsense_edition }}"
+      - "Version       : {{ pfsense_current_version }}"
+      - "Branch        : {{ pfsense_major_minor }}"
+      - "Release type  : {{ pfsense_release_type }}"
+      - "Build time    : {{ pfsense_build_time }}"
+      - "Architecture  : {{ pfsense_arch }}"