upgrade to 16.4 stopped halfway

If you boot into "recovery mode - root command prompt" you can use administrative commands (dpkg, apt-get, ...) as they are, but if you boot your system in another mode (or e.g. use a virtual console) you have to use the sudo prefix and provide your password as confirmation for all administrative commands.

Try

sudo dpkg --configure -a

etc.

On the Grub menu, what do you see as first and second options?

oh, I do use sudo and still get that message
 ok found recovery did that and got to the
same point
did sudo dpkg --configure -a
and got
 dpkg: error unable to access dpkg status area read-only file system

Ok, slightly different error message (not superuser missing but read-only file system)

In "recovery mode - root command prompt" the file system is mounted read-only by default.
You have to issue the command

mount -o rw,remount /

and only then dpkg, apt-get and other commands will start working.

ah
all I got was a long lost of options

recovery mode is a screen where i can only pick from a list??
 so what is the differents of recovery mode & root command prompt?

I power up hold down shift
I can pick from

ubntu
advanced options for
memory test (memtest86+
serial console 1152000

I pick >advanced options for (it the only one that hads anything saying recovery mode)

I get a long list I pick the 3ed one down it is the first one saying recovery mode
4.4.0-31 generic (recovery mode)

get a pink screen
recovery menu (filesystem stem: read-only.
and can only pick things to do from there

am I making a wrong turn somewhere??
I can't type info in recovery mode

How is your power supply dropping a fault of Linux?

The last or last-but-one option on that pink list should be "root command prompt" or "drop to root shell prompt" or something like that. Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight it and press return.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RecoveryMode

How is your power supply dropping a fault of Linux?
the other day someone drove into a pole down the street and the power went out.

this one the power did not go out it just stopped upgrading and its a bug I've seen others complaining about it on the web.

ok found it root drop to root shell prompt

says press Enter for maintenance
did that and went back to pink screen

also says, or press control-d to continue and it goes back to pink screen
also can not type anything on the line.

I am a bit lost what the status of your system is now.

In your original question you apparently had some kind of command prompt.
How did you get there? Can you re-do this?
Or do you have success in reaching a command prompt with whatever other method?

I turn it on I see

GNU GRUB VERSION 2.02 BETA2-9UBUNTU1.12
ubntu
advanced options for <<<< this is where I find a list ever other one says (recovery mode) I pick the fist one
memory test (memtest86+
memory test serial console 1152000

if I do nothingI
then I get a black screen with white letters
a bunch of green (OK) ( a few red (fails) fly by so fast I can't read them
then it stops at

Ubuntu 16'04.1 LTS rjsmith-desktp tty1
rjsmith-desltop login:

also tried
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RecoveryMode

then did
dpkg --configure -a

and got dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

keep hitting the same wall :(

I see two possibilities

1. try the normal login, and at the "rjsmith-desktop login:" prompt enter your username and password, and then try repair commands with sudo in front

2. Go the recovery mode way, then you have to give as the first command
mount -o remount,rw /
and then you can continue without sudo.

no I can't :(

again I get
 dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

even at the top of the recovery mode with the pink background It says
"" Read-only file system""

I tried other things off the web and every time it's the same thing.

 dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

I read I can do it off a cd
Dose the CD have to be 16.04
or can I use an older one??

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dbus/+bug/1555237

there had got to be a way to get around the "Read-only" Wall I keep hitting.
I need to take a break from it and clear my mind. looking on the web, I'm read to much about it and it's all the same info said in different ways.

Have you tried the command

mount -o remount,rw /

to change the root file system from read only to read write?

oh I got another menu! but no clue what to do lol

-L
-U
labels
uuid
partlable
partuuid
(device)
(directory)
(file)

Operations:
-B
-M
-R
--make-shared
--mark-slave
--mark-private
--mark-unbindable
--mark-rslave
--mark-rslave
--mark-rprivate
--mark-runbindable

then they tell you what they do on the right. I'm hoping you know so i don't have to type all that :)

why can't they use normal English in explaining what each things does.
nothing there that I can see saying, change file system from read only to read write?
Augh.

What exactly are you doing to receive such output?

Please restart from the beginning and describe what you do and what you get.
We have problems understanding what the status is of your system.

I restart most times because it takes so long to get info, except for the other day when we were on at the same time.

I power on
 i pick recovery mode then shall then enter

I see 'root@rjsmith-desktop:~#
I try this dpkg --configure -a
 dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

I try this sudo dpkg --configure -a
I get

type dpkg --help
ues apt
type dpkg -dhelp
typedpkg --force
type dpkg -ded
options mark (*) produce a lot of output -pipe it through 'less or more

^ i have no clue

i try this
https://administratosphere.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/rescuing-an-interrupted-ubuntu-upgrade/
it tell me to dpkg --configure -a
i get this
 dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

What exactly are you doing to receive such output?
i try this mount -o remount,rw / and get the menu or readout or whatever that is in #16^^

so far
everything I try at some point i get
 dpkg error unable to access dpkg status area: Read-only file system

Ok, the first steps (selecting recovery mode) are correct.
The next thing bevor you try dpkg must be

mount -o remount,rw /

If you get some strange listing of possible options, then this is the sign that you have mistyped the mount command.
Please re-try very carefully and care for correct insertion of space characters (but no space inside "remount,rw").

gave up nothing worked, two days of reading 3 days here and I find out no one has a clue. reinstalled 14.04 from a cd and 3 hours later all my programs are back. this is the second time that has happened.

 So a warning to all. never upgrade till it's at least 6 months old, so they can have time to work the bugs out. rushing to release on time is not good for anyone.
Always make your files read & write so you can move them or backup on a USB or another hard drive.