New install - can't update via Synaptic

[vinoman]

Just installed Mint 4.0 on a Compaq Presario R3000 laptop, and overall its working very well.

... but when trying to update I get error messages. one is when trying to install Abiword:
W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... u2_all.deb

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... 386.debuld

When trying to update via command line I get:

marief@marief-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for marief:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory
marief@marief-laptop:~$

Are some repos not working now? What repositories should I have checked?

Thanks

[vinoman]

Synaptic seems to be working now. I was able to install some programs. But mintUpdate doesn't work.
Also the mintinstall in the software portal doesn't work either.

What would cause that?

[AlexSlocker]

It seems to me that you may have other installing process running. Note that if you have synaptics open, you can't make 'apt-get install foo faa'. Because synaptic locked the installing system just for himself to prevent make double installations, and that the package system gets messy. My solution should be, close all you have open (all related to installing software at least) including the mintUpdate tray icon. And then simply do:

Code: Select all

apt-get update && apt-get install <choose_an_application_you_want>

If that goes well, then the problem should had been that you have had two or more conflicting systems of installing software. Notice that you potencially could have the terminal (aptitude or apt), synaptics, mintUpdate, even gdebi... And the error it shows

Code: Select all

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the list directory

make me think that way.

[vinoman]

Thanks, but nothing is running in the background. I checked processes and apt isn't running. What would conflict that I can turn off? I turned mint update on after a clean boot and it still acts like something else is running.

I tried running:

$sudo apt-get update && apt-get install kaffeine

but I get connection timed out.

what is is getting in the way?

[AlexSlocker]

Ok... ok... don't get nervous... have you tried rebooting?

Just joking, and by this, I mean I don't know what is going on in your computer. Seems to me, then, it's a network problem. But it just makes no sense, because you're posting in this forum. How do you connect to the Internet? Maybe if you're using some king of corporate wifi, the net doesn't allow to do certain connection. At my University I can access FTP or SSH services through the wifi, for example.

[vinoman]

Thanks Alex, I think I have to look again at what processes are running. Like you said, you don't know what else is running and that's what is hanging it up.

I gave the laptop back to my friend and will look into it again in the couple days. I've seen this happen on other distros that use Synaptic (Ubuntu, Klikit, PCLOS) you sometimes can't seem to find the process that hangs it up.
I have Mint 4.0 on my other PC and it was able to to update yesterday when the laptop, on the same dsl connection couldn't. In System Monitor, what other processes should I look for?

Hope to solve it soon.

[Sunny Rabbiera]

this is a common issue found in apt, Ubuntu, Klikit, PCLOS use it as does mint... mint is based on ubuntu so it will share most of the same issues.

[vinoman]

Still can't solve this problem with Synaptic. I unchecked the mediubuntu repo thinking that was the problem, but I still can't get synaptic to work.

I get this error:
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... elease.gpg: Could not connect to http://www.linuxmint.com:80 (42.1.14.11). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... -en_US.bz2: Could not connect to http://www.linuxmint.com:80 (42.1.14.11). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... -en_US.bz2: Could not connect to http://www.linuxmint.com:80 (42.1.14.11). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... -en_US.bz2: Could not connect to http://www.linuxmint.com:80 (42.1.14.11). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... elease.gpg
http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... -en_US.bz2
http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... -en_US.bz2
http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... -en_US.bz2
http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... -en_US.bz2
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... ckages.bz2
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... ckages.bz2
http://www.linuxmint.com/repository/dis ... ackages.gz

I cant' see what is in the way.
How do I edit the /var/lib/apt/lists/ lock file as root? Then I can delete the lock file and see if that solves the problem.

Thanks

[vinoman]

I did a little more searching and found a log file that once I deleted it, Synaptic was able to refresh. So I guess it's working now. I never had this problem on my Mint PC, wonder why my friend's laptop has this problem?