@stephenw10 I would love to answer your question but it's proving quite harder than anticipated.
So since it's virtualised and I have console access I simply restarted it on the boot environment with 24.03 and went straight to said error.
The unsuspected struggle is, amazingly, with actually typing bt after the db> prompt, since the console is absolutely frozen.
So since I was using a web console I thought, heck with it must be this consoles problem, I'll just open the actual app (Citrix xencenter) and go to the console there.
As it so happens, it wasn't the web console problem. the instance is frozen and I am unable to type bt or anything else.
I updated the secondary firewall (also virtualised) and it failed as well but that one I can keep down, anyway got part of the install process it then goes and finalizes proceeds to reboot and goes to said state, I'll add the rest of the log in next post
>>> Updating repositories metadata...
pkg-static: Warning: Major OS version upgrade detected. Running "pkg bootstrap -f" recommended
Updating pfSense-core repository catalogue...
Fetching meta.conf: . done
Fetching packagesite.pkg: . done
Processing entries: . done
pfSense-core repository update completed. 5 packages processed.
Updating pfSense repository catalogue...
Fetching meta.conf: . done
Fetching packagesite.pkg: .... done
Processing entries: .......... done
pfSense repository update completed. 736 packages processed.
All repositories are up to date.
>>> Locking package pkg...done.
>>> Renaming current boot environment from default to default_20240424123333...done.
>>> Cloning current boot environment default_20240424123333...done.
>>> Removing vital flag from php82...done.
>>> Upgrading packages in cloned boot environment default...
Updating pfSense-core repository catalogue...
pfSense-core repository is up to date.
Updating pfSense repository catalogue...
pfSense repository is up to date.
All repositories are up to date.
Checking for upgrades (123 candidates): .......... done
Processing candidates (123 candidates): .......... done
The following 230 package(s) will be affected (of 0 checked):
Installed packages to be REMOVED:
pfSense-Status_Monitoring-php82: 1.8_3
php82: 8.2.11
php82-bcmath: 8.2.11
php82-bz2: 8.2.11
php82-ctype: 8.2.11
php82-curl: 8.2.11
php82-dom: 8.2.11
php82-filter: 8.2.11
php82-gettext: 8.2.11
php82-gmp: 8.2.11
php82-intl: 8.2.11
php82-ldap: 8.2.11
php82-libbe: 0.1.4.1
php82-mbstring: 8.2.11
php82-opcache: 8.2.11
php82-openssl_x509_crl: 1.3_3
php82-pcntl: 8.2.11
php82-pdo: 8.2.11
php82-pdo_sqlite: 8.2.11
php82-pear: 1.10.13
php82-pear-Auth_RADIUS: 1.1.0_4
php82-pear-Cache_Lite: 1.8.3,1
php82-pear-Crypt_CHAP: 1.5.0_2
php82-pear-HTTP_Request2: 2.5.1,1
php82-pear-Mail: 1.5.0,1
php82-pear-Net_IPv6: 1.3.0.b4_2
php82-pear-Net_SMTP: 1.10.1
php82-pear-Net_Socket: 1.2.2
php82-pear-Net_URL2: 2.2.1
php82-pear-XML_RPC2: 1.1.5
php82-pecl-mcrypt: 1.0.6
php82-pecl-radius: 1.4.0b1_2
php82-pecl-rrd: 2.0.3
php82-pfSense-module: 0.95
php82-phpseclib: 2.0.17
php82-posix: 8.2.11
php82-readline: 8.2.11
php82-session: 8.2.11
php82-shmop: 8.2.11
php82-simplexml: 8.2.11
php82-sockets: 8.2.11
php82-sqlite3: 8.2.11
php82-sysvmsg: 8.2.11
php82-sysvsem: 8.2.11
php82-sysvshm: 8.2.11
php82-tokenizer: 8.2.11
php82-xml: 8.2.11
php82-xmlreader: 8.2.11
php82-xmlwriter: 8.2.11
php82-zlib: 8.2.11
New packages to be INSTALLED:
cpu-microcode: 1.0 [pfSense]
cpu-microcode-amd: 20231019 [pfSense]
cpu-microcode-intel: 20231114 [pfSense]
cpu-microcode-rc: 1.0_1 [pfSense]
duktape-lib: 2.7.0 [pfSense]
libpfctl: 0.8 [pfSense]
pfSense-Status_Monitoring-php83: 1.8_6 [pfSense]
pfSense-gnid: 0.19 [pfSense]
php83: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-bcmath: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-bz2: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-ctype: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-curl: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-dom: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-filter: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-gettext: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-gmp: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-intl: 8.3.1_1 [pfSense]
php83-ldap: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-libbe: 0.2.1 [pfSense]
php83-mbstring: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-opcache: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-openssl_x509_crl: 1.3_3 [pfSense]
php83-pcntl: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-pdo: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-pdo_sqlite: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-pear: 1.10.13 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Auth_RADIUS: 1.1.0_4 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Cache_Lite: 1.8.3,1 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Crypt_CHAP: 1.5.0_2 [pfSense]
php83-pear-HTTP_Request2: 2.6.0,1 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Mail: 1.6.0,1 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Net_IPv6: 1.3.0.b4_2 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Net_SMTP: 1.11.1 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Net_Socket: 1.2.2 [pfSense]
php83-pear-Net_URL2: 2.2.1 [pfSense]
php83-pear-XML_RPC2: 1.1.5 [pfSense]
php83-pecl-mcrypt: 1.0.6 [pfSense]
php83-pecl-radius: 1.4.0b1_2 [pfSense]
php83-pecl-rrd: 2.0.3 [pfSense]
php83-pfSense-module: 0.97 [pfSense]
php83-phpseclib: 2.0.17 [pfSense]
php83-posix: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-readline: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-session: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-shmop: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-simplexml: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-sockets: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-sqlite3: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-sysvmsg: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-sysvsem: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-sysvshm: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-tokenizer: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-xml: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-xmlreader: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-xmlwriter: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
php83-zlib: 8.3.1 [pfSense]
polkit: 123_1 [pfSense]
Installed packages to be UPGRADED:
bind-tools: 9.18.16 -> 9.18.20_1 [pfSense]
boost-libs: 1.82.0_1 -> 1.83.0_1 [pfSense]
ca_root_nss: 3.92 -> 3.93_2 [pfSense]
check_reload_status: 0.0.15 -> 0.0.16 [pfSense]
curl: 8.5.0 -> 8.6.0 [pfSense]
dbus: 1.14.6,1 -> 1.14.10_3,1 [pfSense]
dhcpcd: 10.0.2 -> 10.0.6 [pfSense]
gettext-runtime: 0.22_1 -> 0.22.3 [pfSense]
glib: 2.76.4,2 -> 2.78.3,2 [pfSense]
hostapd: 2.10_5 -> 2.10_8 [pfSense]
icu: 73.2,1 -> 74.2_1,1 [pfSense]
igmpproxy: 0.4,1 -> 0.4_1,1 [pfSense]
json-c: 0.16 -> 0.17 [pfSense]
kea: 2.4.0 -> 2.4.1 [pfSense]
libedit: 3.1.20221030,1 -> 3.1.20230828,1 [pfSense]
libgcrypt: 1.10.2 -> 1.10.3 [pfSense]
libnghttp2: 1.55.1_1 -> 1.58.0 [pfSense]
libpsl: 0.21.2_3 -> 0.21.2_4 [pfSense]
libuv: 1.46.0 -> 1.47.0 [pfSense]
libxml2: 2.10.4 -> 2.10.4_2 [pfSense]
links: 2.29_1,1 -> 2.29_2,1 [pfSense]
log4cplus: 2.1.0 -> 2.1.1 [pfSense]
luajit-openresty: 2.1.20230410 -> 2.1.20230911_1 [pfSense]
miniupnpd: 2.3.3_1,1 -> 2.3.3_2,1 [pfSense]
mpd5: 5.9_16 -> 5.9_17 [pfSense]
nginx: 1.24.0_11,3 -> 1.24.0_14,3 [pfSense]
oniguruma: 6.9.8_1 -> 6.9.9 [pfSense]
opensc: 0.23.0_1 -> 0.24.0 [pfSense]
pcsc-lite: 2.0.0,2 -> 2.0.1,2 [pfSense]
perl5: 5.34.1_3 -> 5.36.3_1 [pfSense]
pfSense: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense]
pfSense-base: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense-core]
pfSense-boot: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense-core]
pfSense-default-config: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense]
pfSense-kernel-pfSense: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense-core]
pfSense-pkg-Service_Watchdog: 1.8.7_1 -> 1.8.7_2 [pfSense]
pfSense-repo: 23.09.1 -> 24.03 [pfSense]
pfSense-repoc: 20230912 -> 20240322 [pfSense]
pftop: 0.8_4 -> 0.10 [pfSense]
python311: 3.11.4 -> 3.11.7 [pfSense]
readline: 8.2.1 -> 8.2.7 [pfSense]
sqlite3: 3.42.0,1 -> 3.44.0_1,1 [pfSense]
sshguard: 2.4.2_2,1 -> 2.4.3_1,1 [pfSense]
strongswan: 5.9.11_3 -> 5.9.13 [pfSense]
unbound: 1.18.0_1 -> 1.19.3 [pfSense]
wpa_supplicant: 2.10_6 -> 2.10_10 [pfSense]