Can't update or find running app

[hrobinson57]

Every time I try to go to Add/Remove Programs, or click the red triangle that is telling me I have updates, I get the following message after entering my password:

“Another process is using the packaging system database (probably some other Adept application or apt-get or aptitude). Please close the other application before using this one.”

How can I find this process/application so I can close it? I know Ksysguard lists processes, but many are running as root the others don't mention Adept or apt. I've tried killing them one by one, but if my system doesn't crash I get the same message. Is there some trick to getting a list of all running applications? Any help would be appreciated. I must get that red triangle to go away & update my packages.

[aysiu]

Re: Can't update or find running app

So you've tried this?

sudo killall dpkg
sudo killall adept

[hrobinson57]

Re: Can't update or find running app

I tried both killall commands, and also killall apt-get, and killall aptitude. No processes killed, and still get the same message. If there is a way to list all running apps that might help. Thanks.

Hal

[brian]

Re: Can't update or find running app

ps -e | less

will let you see what's running (piped into less just for ease of reading).

If there isn't apt/adept or anything like that running, it's likely that it's just there is a lock file on the database which didn't get removed by a previous run of apt (maybe it crashed or something). If so, try removing the lock file with:

sudo rm -f /var/lib/dpkg/lock

I think that's where it's located in kubuntu. If not, try these as well:

sudo rm -f /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
sudo rm -f /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

[hrobinson57]

Re: Can't update or find running app

Thanks to all I am now up & running with all latest updates applied. I ended up logging on as root (Failsafe) and trying to start aptitude the old way, and it listed all the problem packages (it was clamav that didn't install fully). I do have a question for Brian when I entered:

ps -e | less

I just got a bunch of arguments, and when I tried adding them (-f I think was for a full listing) nothing happened. I'm kind of new to Linux so I am probably doing something wrong. I keep regular backups, but would rather solve problems the right way instead of taking the easy way out.

Thanks again

Hal

[brian]

Re: Can't update or find running app

Sorry for the slow reply - I've been away from my computer for a bit

It's odd that you got a load of arguments - the command ps will print the current snapshot of processes running. Was the top line of what got printed "ERROR: Garbage option."? If so, check that you've not got a space between the "-" and the arguments. If that's okay, do you still get the error with just "ps"?