Configuration File Compatibility

[Spiky_Gladiator]

Hi,

I just want to check if you take a backup of your older version of OPNSense, is it compatible with the newer version or will there be some incompatibilies ? Would for example Firewall rules, DHCP configuration or basic settings be retained but more advanced configuration for other parts of OPNSense not properly imported ?

Does anyone know the answer to this ?

[cookiemonster]

If it is a setting set with the UI, it gets saved to the appropriate place in the configuration file, that then gets saved in a backup ie. when is downloaded from the UI. Even the more advanced options.
If you however make your own changes manually to any files in the filesystem without using the recommended way of doing it (see documentation), then those are not saved.

[franco]

> without using the recommended way of doing it (see documentation)

Just to clarify: the advanced file-based overrides are never backed up and therefore stay local to the device. If you wish to retain them we recommend building a simple plugin on your end which includes all the files you have... this way you also have a version and change history of your modifications and can move this to other machines either by source code or precompiled plugin.

The reason for this is simple... the advanced configurations are often exactly how plugins work minus the convenience of having GUI settings translated into configuration files automatically. You can add a GUI for your local override plugin so the contents is saved in the config.xml and also written to the relevant system files, but we do not allow configuration blobs in the config.xml so that would also be private solution to the problem... In any case you need to install a plugin in order for it to work so you can cut the work by significant amount with static files delivered via plugin.


Cheers,
Franco

[cookiemonster]

thanks for the clarification franco.