Mint 16 update manager failing again

[spark60]

Hi all,
Been using mint 16 x64 since release and worked fine, including update manager. Till last week when once again after latest update icon changes to dreaded red x with the "could not refresh the list of packages, as well as the E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Could not open file descriptor -1
E: Unable to lock the list directory.
This failure seems to have appeared in the last few mint releases, why does it work week in week out then fail?
Would appreciate any info help as usual. Have spent a number of days trying different repairs obtained from forum but so far no success.
Cheers

[cwsnyder]

I would first run from the command line sudo apt-get update and watch for errors. This problem normally occurs when a PPA or other repository has either been deleted from the Internet or otherwise rendered inaccessible. Use the command line sudo synaptic to remove or render inactive those problem repositories or look on the Internet for solutions. Other people using the repository probably are also having that problem. After you fix the repository problem, either use Synaptic (Package Manager) 's Edit >> Fix Broken Packages option, or use the command line:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -f install

The should fix any broken packages which did not get completely installed, and you should be good to go until the next repository problem.

[RobKrieger]

"Use the command line sudo synaptic to remove or render inactive those problem repositories or look on the Internet for solutions"

I've have the exact same problem and only just started using linux.
I ran apt-get update and it gave me the below nebtioned problems, only how can I "remove or render inactive those problem repositories?"
Id be grateful for an pedagogical advice as to how to.

Err http://www.openprinting.org lsb3.2/contrib Translation-en_US
Unable to connect to www.openprinting.org:http:
Err http://www.openprinting.org lsb3.2/contrib Translation-en
Unable to connect to www.openprinting.org:http:
Fetched 932 kB in 4min 41s (3.308 B/s)
W: Failed to fetch http://www.openprinting.org/download/pr ... tion-en_US Unable to connect to www.openprinting.org:http:

W: Failed to fetch http://www.openprinting.org/download/pr ... slation-en Unable to connect to www.openprinting.org:http:

[catfish12]

Hi try this in terminal
this may help

sudo apt-get clean

cd /var/lib/apt

cd /var/lib/apt

sudo mkdir -p lists/partial

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get update

[cwsnyder]

Someone, or some automatic daemon, has added http://www.openprinting.org as a repository, it is not. You may be able to correct it by either deleting the repository if installed, or simply checking the correct repository lists by opening Menu >> Package Manager, entering your password when requested, then choosing Settings >> Repositories from the menu of Synaptic, and checking for problems in the check boxes and lists in the resulting menus.