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+--- Thread: nstall Updates - Could not get lock (/showthread.php?tid=9685)
nstall Updates - Could not get lock - CountFoxx - 10-30-2025
============ Log ===========
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend. It is held by process 5604 (apt-get)
E: Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock (/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend), is another process using it?
RE: nstall Updates could not successfully download and install available updates - stevef - 10-30-2025
That message indicates that there was already a package management process running when a second one has tried to start.
A package manager requires exclusive access to update resources and will try to lock the resources while it is running to prevent another instance starting.
Usually all that is needed is to wait until the first process completes before running update/upgrade again.
The length of time the resource remains locked will be variable.
If the problem does not self-resolve after a while, shutdown, reboot and try again.
If the problem persists it is possible that something (like an interrupted update) may have broken the mechanism and more investigation will be required to clear the lock.
RE: nstall Updates could not successfully download and install available updates - CountFoxx - 10-30-2025
(Yesterday, 10:37 AM)stevef Wrote: That message indicates that there was already a package management process running when a second one has tried to start.
A package manager requires exclusive access to update resources and will try to lock the resources while it is running to prevent another instance starting.
Usually all that is needed is to wait until the first process completes before running update/upgrade again.
The length of time the resource remains locked will be variable.
If the problem does not self-resolve after a while, shutdown, reboot and try again.
If the problem persists it is possible that something (like an interrupted update) may have broken the mechanism and more investigation will be required to clear the lock.
When the installation is taking place, the process disappears from the screen, so there is no indication showing the installation still in progress, or complete. So, I started the installation process again. I guess I'll just have to wait for a popup to indicate the installation is completed?
RE: nstall Updates - Could not get lock - stevef - 10-30-2025
If you initiate an update/upgrade and confirm the action, then yes, you need to wait for it to finish.
Most Linux Lite systems will show progress on screen. There are cases where the GUI does not show the progress, but in cases reported (so far) the final 'completed' window has always popped up at the end. This 'silent updating' has been investigated and seems to be associated with a 'divide by zero error' which kills the GUI progress window.
No complete explanation has been found as far as I am aware.
If you don't get the GUI progress AND the GUI complete message you may have something new.
RE: nstall Updates - Could not get lock - CountFoxx - 10-30-2025
I didn't interrupt this update this time, but it produced the following ============ Log ===========
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
and I didn't instruct this time.
Could it be because of Wi-Fi drop-outs causing the interruption? Because I only get 36MBS (tops) download, and sometimes it drops to 32MBS, and disconnect, then reconnect.
RE: nstall Updates - Could not get lock - stevef - 10-30-2025
Quote:Could it be because of Wi-Fi drop-outs causing the interruption?Unlikely.
Please open a terminal (by pressing 'ctrl+alt+t') and run the command below. You will need to enter your password.
Code:
sudo dpkg --configure -a