Ubuntu - Unable to lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock- Error

Latest update on by jak58 .

Issue

It may happen that upon installing a package or a new software on Ubuntu, the system prompts you with the following error message:

  • Unable to lock/var/lib/dpkg/lock-open(11 Resource temporarily unavailable).
  • Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), Is Another process using it?

Solution

  • This may imply that a process using apt is already underway, simply close or update your package manager (Synaptic Package Manager), if the problem persists open a terminal and type the following command:
  • sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock
Ask a question
CCM is a leading international tech website. Our content is written in collaboration with IT experts, under the direction of Jean-François Pillou, founder of CCM.net. CCM reaches more than 50 million unique visitors per month and is available in 11 languages.
This document, titled « Ubuntu - Unable to lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock- Error », is available under the Creative Commons license. Any copy, reuse, or modification of the content should be sufficiently credited to CCM (ccm.net).