could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock | resource temporarily unavailable

When executing apt-get is the command getting an error like “could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock” or a variant of this error are like these?

could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend
could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock – open
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?
could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock – open (35 resource temporarily unavailable)
could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock open
could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend
could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock

Solutions available for “could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock

You will get this message if you forget to use sudo

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 when executing an apt command.

Otherwise, this is a sign that something else is installing or removing software and has locked the apt database while it performs the actions. The programs that can do this are:

  • The Software Center
  • The Update Manager
  • The apt link installer (I think this now goes through SC)
  • The apt-get or aptitude command-line utilities.
  • The Synaptic Package Manager

Solution 1 : Kill the dpkg process and remove lock files

  • First, check if there is a dpkg process running, 
    ps afx|grep dpkg
  • If that’s the case, kill it below command
    sudo kill processnumber
    if the above one not works, kill the process forcefully.
    sudo kill -9 processnumber or
    sudo killall dpkg
  • Remove the lock files
    sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
    sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

Solution 2 : Reconfigure dpkg

  • Remove your /var/lib/dpkg/lock file
    sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
  • force package reconfiguration.
    sudo dpkg –configure -a

Hope these solves your issue, please comment below if you’re still facing issue.

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