pfSense 2.7.0 unable to load packages or check for updates

I came across an issue with the 2.7.0 release where I could not see any packages in the ‘available packages’ section in pfsense. I also could not update to anything above 2.7.0.

3 of 3 hosts had this issue with release 2.7.0 and it took a while before I found the solution.

All hosts had internet connectivity and DNS was working as with all hosts behind the firewall. Upon reviewing the troubleshooting section of the release notes, I found the following:

• Due to changes in pkg, the new version of pkg may not be able to properly locate and use the CA trust store when running on the previous version before upgrading.If the firewall is unable to load packages or check for updates after selecting the CE 2.7.1 upgrade branch, run certctl rehash from the console, a root shell prompt, or via Diagnostics > Command Prompt. This will allow pkg to utilize the system certificates until the next reboot.

https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/2-7-1.html#troubleshooting

I was able to resolve the issue by performing the above, updating and rebooting.

Hope this works for you too!