[Wolves] How do I unlock apt get?

[Kevanf1]

On 20/12/2007, Adam Sweet <drinky76 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Kevanf1 <kevanf1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Ok, it is the gui updater on Kubuntu 7.10 which is
> > of course 'adept'.
> > It locked up when I tried to install Java, I know...
> >  but I needed it
> > as I was going through the router logs and Firefox
> > asked for the Java
> > plug in so I fired up adept....blah, blah, blah.
> > That didn't work and
> > threw up an error stating that it would break
> > something if it
> > continued to install.  I cam out of that and tried
> > again only to find
> > it locked.  I did find that the same had happened to
> > somebody else
> > when they tried to install Java (not the latest
> > version either).
> > Anyway, I know that there is a very simply command
> > that is entered at
> > the CLI that will release apt and subsequently
> > adept.  I just can't
> > find it :-(  I thought somebody had mentioned it on
> > here before?
> > Maybe I'm wrong?  Until I can unlock it I can't
> > update my Kubuntu box
> > and hence I am open to security vulnerabilites :-(
>
> What exactly do the error messages say? An application
> locking up and unlocking an application are 2
> different things. The subtleties in the wording of the
> message may help us understand what the problem is.
> Describing the problem without including the error
> messages only gives us your understanding of what's
> happening, which may not be correct.
>
> I'm assuming that adept is a front end to apt, rather
> than aptitude or dpkg, so you could close adept after
> your error message and so:
>
> ps ax | grep apt
>
> or
>
> ps ax | grep adept
>
> on the command line. This will show you if any
> processes are clinging to apt or adept. Also, try the
> following:
>
> lsof | grep apt
>
> or
>
> lsof | grep adept
>
> (lsof = LiSt Open Files)
>
> after closing adept following your error. This will
> tell you if there are any files open with apt or adept
> in the filename or directory path.
>
> There's a chance you will see something in one of the
> above commands if there is something clinging to apt
> or adept, grep won't tell you if there are no results.
> If it's a lock file left open after adept has closed
> then it may be safe to remove it, but first you need
> to check whether any apt processes are using it, lsof
> and ps should have told you this, but we'll carry on
> anyway.
>
> First try running apt-get manually:
>
> sudo apt-get update
>
> What does it say? Anything about another apt process
> running?
>
> Try installing java (I assume you want the
> not-yet-Free Sun Java runtime and plugin):
>
> sudo apt-get install sun-java5-jre sun-java-plugin
>
> It will either install it for you or throw you an
> error. If it somes back with an error, tell us what it
> is.
>
> Either way, you have just learned how to see a list of
> running processes, list open files and grep them for
> certain phrases :)
>
> Ad
>

Cheers Adam :-)  These are now on my 'to do' list for this afternoon.
As soon as I've tried the various commands I'll post up what the
outcome is.  I can also send that error message verbatim instead of
trying to remember and guess what it said.  With apologies for not
doing that in the first place but that migraine was just starting :-(
thankfully it's now nearly gone..
-- 
==============================================

Kevan Farmer
Linux user #373362
Staffordshire