Strange upgrade behavior from 18.7.10_4 to 19.1_1

[myksto]

In one of my scenario I have two Dell PE 1950, they are identical in hardware: then they have WAN, DMZ and LAN interfaces.
The first firewall is in production and is LAN, DMZ and WAN (to a router with public IP) connected.
The second is a backup, same configuration as the first but connected only to the LAN interface with another private IP (of course). In this backup machine I set the first firewall LAN address as the default gateway. In this way it's connected to the internet anche can check for updates.
This morning I tried to update this backup firewall from 18.7.10_4 to the 19.1_1 through the GUI. I unlocked the upgrade and pressed the UPGRADE button. I waited for half an hour but apart from the dots on the screen no upgrade has been done. I rebooted the firewall and started the upgrade over but the result has been the same. Then I tried to upgrade from console but apart from the dots increasing on the screen nothing happened.
In this forum I found a thread who suggested another way to upgrade and tried it. Through the console I launched these commands:
# opnsense-update -fp -n "19.1\/latest"
Lots of packages were installed and all processes completed (apparently) with succes but at the end the firewall was not pingable and the GUI not accessible. I then tried to check for updates from console, the process installed some packages making the a "kernel update" and the rebooted the firewall. At that point everything were ok, the firewall pingable again and the GUI accessible.

This is not the first time I have problems to update this backup firewall and I really can't understand why.
Could it be the fact it's not WAN connected? Any other idea, suggestions?

Thanks and cheers,
Michele.

[newsense]

That's skipping steps and no wonder the system was in an inconsistent state. There's a reason why the installer in the console gives you the option to fully update current branch OR choose the newer branch, and as far as I know it is not only a best practice but also expected to do everything in the proper order as there might be preparatory steps for the upgrade being pushed in the latest version of the current branch - and that's not OPNsense specific. The bulk of the upgrade testing is done against current branch not months old random versions.

[myksto]

I thank you for reply.
I read it several times but to tell the truth I didn't understand a word of your sentences.
I tried to show my scenario, what happend with one of my firewall and ask for some hints, some suggestions to try to understand why my firewall did't succed in upgrading from the GUI.
Maybe it's me who didn't explain in a plain way and I apologize for that but I couldn'f find any answer in your reply and it looks to me as it has nothing to do with my thread.

Best regards,
Michele.

[newsense]

Hi Michele, let me rephrase that.

You jumped from 18.7_4 to 19.1 while missing important updates from the 18.7 branch. That may leave your firewall in an inconsistent state which could require a reinstall in a worst case scenario.

In the console you would have had no direct options for upgrading directly to 19.1. You would have been bumped to 18.7.10 first and only then the 19.1 would have become available.

Hope this clarifies my previous post.

[myksto]

Hi newsense.
Now I understand our misunderstanding. 
I entitled the thread "Strange upgrade behavior from 18.7_4 to 19.1_1" whereas it shound have been "Strange upgrade behavior from 18.7.10_4 to 19.1_1". Now I can see the meaning of you words.
I corrected the title of the thread.
So, I made the upgrade from the last version on the 18.7 branch to the 19.1, correctly in this sense.
Maybe you can clearly undestand my problem in the right way now.

Sorry for my typing mistakes.

Cheers,
Michele.