Re: Problem with shutdown via ssh at FreeBSD 15.0

From: Roger Marsh <r.m_at_rmswch.plus.com>
Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2026 21:29:56 UTC 
On Fri, 2 Jan 2026 18:45:51 +0000
Graham Perrin <grahamperrin@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 02/01/2026 14:04, Roger Marsh wrote:
> 
> >> …  
> > Script removed.
> >
> > My main FreeBSD boxes were upgraded from various 14.3 patch levels
> >  
> Level 4 is the absolute minimum, for users of freebsd-update.
> 
> <https://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-EN-25:18.freebsd-update.asc>
> 
> <https://www.freebsd.org/releases/15.0R/installation/#upgrade-binary>, 
> there's a red alert.
> 

I did the 'freebsd-update fetch' and 'freebsd-update install' steps on all the main boxes before doing the upgrade to 15.0, except the last one where I forgot the 'install' step and got bitten by the 'freebsd-update(8) installs libraries in wrong order' problem.  But I remembered reading about that and just got on with doing a fresh install of 15.0 and recovering from backups.

> 
> > to 15.0-p1 after p1 was released and all give the
> >
> > Connection to <remote host> closed by remote host.
> > Connection to <remote host> closed.
> >
> > messages in response to 'shutdown -r now' in a 'ssh <remote host>' session.  
> 
> …
> 
> 
> Do you use ipfw?

No. I use pf.

The main boxes have pf enabled and appropriate pf.conf files.

Neither test box had pf enabled or a pf.conf file.

Enabling pf, either without a pf.conf file or with an empty pf.conf file or a pf.conf file with the single rule 'pass', made a difference to the observed response to 'shutdown -r now'.

> 
> Unofficially tagged as a release note addendum:
> 
> Remote update to FreeBSD 15 failed because of ipfw firewall?
> <https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/1pmgu39/remote_update_to_freebsd_15_failed_because_of/>

None of the remote updates to FreeBSD 15 failed except the one mentioned above.