Question about config backup/restore

[jonf]

I'm investigating the possibility of upgrading the PC on which my OPNsense installation runs for something newer, and I wanted to ask about configuration backups. At the moment I have a few plugins installed and running on my existing setup and wondered whether the plugins (or the record of them being installed) and/or their data get backed up when you create a config backup. Or would I need to manually reinstall/reconfigure the corresponding plugins on any new installation?

When I look at the Restore section under System > Configuration > Backups and open the drop-down menu to choose what to restore, I couldn't see anything mentioning plugins so I wasn't sure if it gets grouped under something else without explicitly listing it.

[Taunt9930]

I believe the plugin config is restored, but the plugin itself shows as 'missing' in the plugin menu after restore - enabling you to quickly identify what plugins to install. I've looked into this as I'm going to have to go back to 22.7.6 as 22.7.7 has caused havoc with my LAN, and a couple of other users on Reddit report going back to 22.7.6. and restoring config has resolved the issue. Remembering/restoring plugins was a concern for me. 

[jonf]

Thanks for the input, at least that should reduce setup time

[amichel]

Hi,
there is a nicer tutorial what to do in this case here:
https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=24174.msg115632#msg115632
amichel

[Vilhonator]

The backup feature built in opnsense indeed does store everything done to it which also includes the plugins.
When you upgrade to newer hardware, you only have to install all plugins showing as "missing".

If any, you mostly have issue with MAC address changing and having to add the new firewalls MAC address to any MAC ACLs on switches, on your network and having to update domain DNS records manually etc. But MAC ACLs are something, people hardly have implemented on their home networks