Update Manager unable to lock the administration directory

Thank you very much for your report! When you received this error message, did you have a terminal open that was used to install a program? Did you have Synaptic Package Manager open? Normally for these kinds of messages, it means that there is another program that has been given permission to download/install a program. Try rebooting your computer to make sure all programs of that type are closed, and then try updating again before doing anything else on your computer. Please post back here if it works or not. Thank you again for reporting this, and helping improve Ubuntu!

Thank you for answer. When I' ve seen that message "unable to have exclusive lock", I've rebooted the computer and tried again to download the updates but I've had the same message again. I've lauched sistem monitor, triing to see if there was open some process like synaptic or aptitude but there was nothing like this. I really don't understand what happens but i think i have to try to reinstall the system again. I've installed the distro called gutsy gibbon and then updated to hardy heron, i don't know if you need this information. Thank you for attention, excuse me for bad english (i'm italian) bye bye

well I'm back again. I've just tried to download moodle and this is what's happened
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.
When I run aptitude, I know that moodle package is blocked to an older version and I don't know how to unblok. As I try to update moodle from aptitude, the window became a picture whithout any possibility of interaction with it

Configurazione del pacchetto

    ┌────────────────┤ Configurazione in corso di moodle ├─────────────────┐
    │ │
    │ Password mismatch │
    │ │
    │ The password and its confirmation do not match. Please reenter the │
    │ passwords. │
    │ │
    │ <Ok> │
    │ │
    └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
I've clicked on ok button without any result.That's all

-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: <email address hidden> per conto di Steve Woodruff
Inviato: ven 24/10/2008 12.57
A: <email address hidden>
Oggetto: [Bug 288660] Re: impossible system update

Thank you very much for your report! When you received this error
message, did you have a terminal open that was used to install a
program? Did you have Synaptic Package Manager open? Normally for these
kinds of messages, it means that there is another program that has been
given permission to download/install a program. Try rebooting your
computer to make sure all programs of that type are closed, and then try
updating again before doing anything else on your computer. Please post
back here if it works or not. Thank you again for reporting this, and
helping improve Ubuntu!

** Summary changed:

- impossible system update
+ Update Manager unable to lock the administration directory

well I'm back again. I've just tried to download moodle and this is what's happened
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.
When I run aptitude, I know that moodle package is blocked to an older version and I don't know how to unblok. As I try to update moodle from aptitude, the window became a picture whithout any possibility of interaction with it

Configurazione del pacchetto

    ?????????????????? Configurazione in corso di moodle ???????????????????
    ? ?
    ? Password mismatch ?
    ? ?
    ? The password and its confirmation do not match. Please reenter the ?
    ? passwords. ?
    ? ?
    ? <Ok> ?
    ? ?
    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I've clicked on ok button without any result.That's all. Please help me!!!

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
Sourcepackagename: None => update-manager

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Incomplete

--
Update Manager unable to lock the administration directory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/288660
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

Status in "update-manager" source package in Ubuntu: Incomplete

Bug description:
when i try to update the system, i've this message:
unable to lock the administration directory (var/lib/dpkg) another process using it
for the same reason, it's impossible install moodle
please help me thank you

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Oct 24 12:31:36 2008
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.04
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: gnome-terminal 2.22.1-0ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
 LANG=it_IT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-terminal
Uname: Linux 2.6.24-21-386 i686

Converting to a question, since this isn't a bug

Use your tab key, enter key, and spacebar to navigate that dialog, not your mouse.

Also try:
- Reboot your pc, open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

use the TAB keyboard key to navigate to moodle or other dialogs configuration window

Then to complete your system update/upgrade:

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

Hope this helps

Hi ... I had the same problem so I did reboot my computer and it worked: Ubuntu 10.10, 64bit.

Thank you,

Carlos