Introduction
If you are a user of Ubuntu, you may have encountered the error “Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock”. This error occurs when you try to install, remove, or upgrade packages on Ubuntu. It is caused by an existing process that is already using the package manager. In this article, we will discuss how to fix this error and get your package manager working again. We will cover how to identify the process that is causing the error, how to stop it, and how to restart the package manager. By the end of this article, you should be able to fix the “Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” error on Ubuntu.
How to Fix Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock Error on Ubuntu
1. Check if any process is using the lock file
First, you need to check if any process is using the lock file. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
sudo lsof /var/lib/dpkg/lock
This will list all the processes that are using the lock file. If you see any processes listed, you can kill them using the kill command.
2. Remove the lock file
If no processes are using the lock file, you can remove it manually. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
This will remove the lock file and allow you to continue with your installation.
3. Update the package database
Once the lock file has been removed, you need to update the package database. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
sudo apt-get update
This will update the package database and allow you to continue with your installation.
4. Try the installation again
Once the package database has been updated, you can try the installation again. If the installation still fails, you may need to try a different version of the package or contact the package maintainer for assistance.
Introduction
In Ubuntu, you may sometimes encounter an error when attempting to run an apt command:
Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock – open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?
This message lets you know that dpkg, the Debian Package Manager service, is unavailable.
Use the options in this guide to resolve the Ubuntu “Could not get lock…” error.
Prerequisites
- Access to a terminal window / command line
- A user account with sudo or root privileges
5 Options to Fix “Could not get lock” Ubuntu Error
By default, the update service launches when Ubuntu starts. The automatic updater uses dpkg to check and install updates.
The dpkg service locks itself so that two processes don’t update the content simultaneously. The service is locked to avoid potential corruptions in the system. However, it also means that the user cannot, for example, run a simple apt command.
1: Wait it Out or Reboot
Give the system up to 10 minutes after you see the error, then try your software installation again.
If you’re certain that nothing is being installed, you can reboot the machine and try again.
To adjust the settings for automatic updates:
1. Click Activites > Search.
2. Type Updates.
3. Click the icon for Software & Updates.
4. Use the check boxes and drop-down menus to select your preferred update schedule.
Note: We recommend keeping automatic updates turned on. Optionally, you can set them to be less frequent or to notify you instead of automatic downloading.
2: Examine the Running Processes
1. If you already tried waiting and rebooting the system, and you still get the error, use the following command to see which installation services are running:
ps aux | grep -i apt2. If there are any applications using apt, they will appear on the list. Look for an entry similar to:
/usr/lib/apt/apt.systemd.daily update
3. The daily update message means your system is running normal updates. You have to wait for this process to finish, but no other action is required.
You may have another apt process that’s running:
root 2810 0.0 0.0 72948 4312 pts/0 S+ 15:03 0:00 sudo apt-get remove logstashThe most important columns are the second column, which lists the PID (process ID), and the last column that displays the service that’s using apt.
4. Alternately, you may have a dpkg service that’s still running. To find it, use the following command:
ps aux | grep -i dpkgThe dpkg output will look similar to the apt output.
3: Address the Stuck Apt Service
1. If you have a mystery apt or dpkg service running, terminate it and see if that resolves your error. Use the following command:
sudo kill 88082. Replace 8808 with the actual process ID (PID) from Step 2. It should complete and return to a new command prompt line. If it doesn’t, force the process to stop by adding the -9 option:
sudo kill -9 8808This should have resolved the issue.
4: Delete Lock Files
The error message in Ubuntu may appear similar to the following:
/var/lib/dpkg/lock
/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend
/var/lib/apt/lists/lock
/var/cache/apt/archives/lockThese are lock files, which are created to prevent two instances of apt or dpkg from using the same files at the same time. This can happen if an installation is interrupted or did not complete. Remove the lock files at your own risk.
To delete the lock files, use the rm command:
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lockRemoving these files should fix the error.
5: Reconfigure dpkg
1. Run the --configure command if you just deleted the lock files. Also, this command will help if you receive the following error:
“dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run ‘sudo dpkg –configure -a’ to correct the problem.”
2. Enter the command as displayed above:
sudo dpkg --configure -aOutput returns a new line and the command should resolve the issue.
Fix Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend Error
The steps for fixing this error follow the similar pattern in the methods we described above. The full error is:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock (/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend), is another process using it?1. Do not remove the lock files immediately. Before doing so, locate and kill all processes that may be using the files.
sudo lsof /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontendNote: Check out our guide to learn more about lsof command in Linux.
2. The output returns a result similar to:
lsof: WARNING: can't stat() fuse.gvfsd-fuse file system /run/user/1000/gvfs
Output information may be incomplete.
lsof: WARNING: can't stat() fuse file system /run/user/1000/doc
Output information may be incomplete.
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
unattende 1127 root 2oW REG 7,2 0 165231 /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontent3. If you see unattended under the command column, your system is installing a security update. Wait for the process to complete.
4. Otherwise, note all process IDs and kill them with the force option:
sudo kill -9 process_id5. Once you do that, you can try removing the lock-frontend files.
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontendThis should fix the error.
6. The last thing you can try after deleting the lock files is reconfiguring dpkg as we showed in the fifth section.
sudo dpkg --configure -aTo test if these steps fixed the error, run the update command:
sudo apt updateWhen the process completes successfully, that shows you fixed the “E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” error.
Note: The error we tackled has multiple different forms, but the methods for fixing it are similar. Some of the variations of the “Could not get lock…” error are:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock – open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock directory /var/lib/apt/lists/
and
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock – open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?
Conclusion
This article explains five options to fix the “E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” error on Ubuntu.
One of the options above will resolve the issue and chances are that the error will resolve itself upon rebooting the system.
Another common Ubuntu error message “Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)” could indicate a problem with the package installer.
How to Fix Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock Error on Ubuntu
If you are a Linux user, you may have encountered the “Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” error while trying to install, remove, or upgrade packages on Ubuntu. This error occurs when another process is already using the package manager, and it prevents you from making any changes to the system. Fortunately, this error is easy to fix.
Step 1: Check for Running Processes
The first step is to check if there are any processes that are currently using the package manager. To do this, open a terminal window and run the following command:
ps aux | grep -i apt
This will list all the processes that are currently using the package manager. If you see any processes listed, you will need to terminate them before you can proceed.
Step 2: Terminate the Processes
Once you have identified the processes that are using the package manager, you can terminate them using the following command:
sudo kill -9 [process_id]
Replace [process_id] with the process ID of the process you want to terminate. Once you have terminated the process, you should be able to proceed with your package management tasks.
Step 3: Remove the Lock File
If the process was not terminated properly, it may have left behind a lock file. This lock file will prevent you from making any changes to the system. To remove the lock file, run the following command:
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
Once the lock file has been removed, you should be able to proceed with your package management tasks.
Conclusion
The “Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” error is a common issue on Ubuntu, but it is easy to fix. By following the steps outlined above, you should be able to resolve the issue and continue with your package management tasks.
