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How To Solve: apt-get install Error in Ubuntu

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Problem:

An Ubuntu user often comes across an error (shown below the paragraph) while try to install an application using apt-get in the terminal, using synaptic or Ubuntu Software Center. This simple error may trouble a beginner Ubuntu User. The error looks something like this:

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?

Reason:

The reason is quite obviously stated in the error itself: is another process using it? Which means that the administrative directory (/var/lib/dpkg) responsible for the Debian Package Installation is already used by another process i.e. either of  apt-get, synaptic package manager, update manager or Ubuntu Software Center is installing some other software.

Solution:

Well, solution is as simple as it can be. Wait for the other program to finish installation or cancel the previous one and start a new one.

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock

Hope that helps. Questions and suggestions are welcome. Do subscribe to get more Linux troubleshoot and Tech articles.

  • linux_sam

    i was trying to upgrade my backtrack5 r1(Ubuntu) to backtrack5 r2 and twice i got stucked at this point below for many hours

    A w3af/plugins/discovery/ghdb
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/ghdb/GHDB.xml
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/spiderMan.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/content_negotiation
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/content_negotiation/common_filenames.db
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/findGit.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/wordpress_fullpathdisclosure.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/sitemapReader.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/bing_spider.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/findCaptchas.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/fingerPKS.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/phishtank.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/frontpage_version.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/robotsReader.py
    A w3af/plugins/discovery/wordnet

    then i opened another terminal and tried to start all over again but it says

    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?

    how do i continue the upgrade (apt-get dist-upgrade) i was on normally???
    Any assistant will be appreciated.

    • https://computerandyou.net/ Abhishek Prakash

      did you try the solution given in this post? Please try and see if it works..if not, then we will think of something else

      • Ross Dempster

        I have same problem the solution above does not fix it.

  • Subas chandra dhungana

    How to check which process using it and stop it?

    • https://computerandyou.net/ Abhishek Prakash

      To stop it use the command given in the post.

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