Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/)
 

hi

after apt-get update, I get the following error:knows someone what's wrong and howto solve this problem ?

greetings
cccc

That looks just like an error I've seen when I try to install a package using the rpm command as a normal user. Did you perhaps to the same? Or are you running an install program in a different shell?

what is your distro/release (you could put this in your profile, would help)
after a reboot does it still happen?
if yes what gives ps aux

I was able to reproduce your error by running Synaptic and leaving it open then moving to the command line and trying to use apt.. you cannot run both at the same time, make sure any other package managers on the system are closed before trying to update or upgrade.

Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock
 

Hey friends,
just type
sudo bash (or) sudo -s
This makes you the root user and obtain administrator previlages. type “whoami” and check that you will be the root user…now all apt commands work..

This is some thread necromancy...

If you see that error, either you're not root, or another package manager is running.

Erm...This thread is going on for five years old!!.

If someother package manager is running,try this..
 

Become root-"sudo bash" and "sudo -s"
then
use "killall -l"
it works...

Probably you had run a other apt-get or dpkg on other shell, or run something like apt-get upgrade & and this lock the database. Try to reboot, but in last case, try:
To find process that lock the file, like apt-get.

hi i have the same pro.
 

i tried the killall -l
and this is the message i got HUP INT QUIT ILL TRAP ABRT IOT BUS FPE KILL USR1 SEGV USR2 PIPE ALRM TERM
STKFLT CHLD CONT STOP TSTP TTIN TTOU URG XCPU XFSZ VTALRM PROF WINCH IO PWR SYS
UNUSED


what happen???

I would not recommend at all to kill the package management system, if it is currently doing its job of installing/removing/upgrading packages this can lead to a corrupted system.
Check the output offor instances of apt (or other package managers, like Synaptic, Software Center, Updade Manager) running, if you find one then think about why it is running. May be the update manager scanning for new updates? Software Center installing something?
Also make sure to start apt as root (with sudo on Ubuntu, su -c on Debian).

works now
 

@cynwulf thanks sudo bash allowed me to download with apt install. I never would have figured that out, Linux is a giant maze.