Recovery

Reset Netgate / pfSense Admin Password from macOS (Serial Console Guide)

Docs, FreeBSD, Networking, PfSense, Netgate

This walkthrough documents the cleanest recovery path for Netgate appliances running pfSense CE or pfSense Plus using a MacBook and the serial console this way we may avoid config loss, performing a factory reset, or a whipe/reinstall.

This is written as a practical runbook you can keep around for the next time someone locks themselves out.

What This Fixes (and What It Doesn’t)

This procedure:

  • Resets the admin webConfigurator password
  • Preserves your full pfSense configuration
  • Works even if the web UI is unreachable

This does not:

 …
Read more…

Fixing a Broken Migration Assistant Clone on macOS Tahoe

MacOS

Date: 2026-02-10
Host: new Mac (macOS Tahoe)
Context: Migration Assistant clone from older Mac failed

Unrecoverable error.

SecurityAgent was unable to create requested mechanism TeamViewerAuthPlugin:start.

Summary

First day using macOS Tahoe, immediately greeted with a broken Migration Assistant clone from an older Mac. The system failed to reach the login window due to a corrupted SecurityAgent authorization plugin left behind by TeamViewer. This caused login to fail and wedged Setup Assistant in a deadlock during post-migration initialization.

 …
Read more…