Ubuntu – Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/) is another process using it

aptdpkgpackage-management

I get this error when trying to use apt-get:

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 can I fix this?

Best Answer

This should be used as last resort. If you use this carelessly you can end up with a broken system. Please try the other answers first before doing this.

You can delete the lock file with the following command:

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

You may also need to delete the lock file in the cache directory

sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lock
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock

After that, try opening Synaptic again.

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