Debian DPKG Already Running

Problem

You receive an error message "Patch scan/deployment operation failed because the DPKG package manager is currently in use by the process {process_name} with process ID {process_id}" while installing the patches or scanning the systems on your network computers using Patch Manager Plus.

Cause

The following are the possible reasons:

• The user might have initiated a software installation at his end.
• The user could have run commands based on dpkg.
• The automatic updates for Debian based flavors could be running.
• A patch scan or deployment via Patch Manager Plus could already be using dpkg.

Resolution

1. Check the {process_name} and {process_id} mentioned in the error message.
2. Verify if the process is currently running:

   • Use the following command:

     ps -p <process_id>

   • If it is running:
     • Wait for the process to finish, or terminate it with caution (as this may impact its parent process).

     • To forcefully terminate the process (only if absolutely necessary), use:

       kill -9 <process_id>

3. Verify there are no active processes holding the dpkg tool:

   • Use the following command to view the process name and ID details:

   lsof /var/lib/dpkg/lock

   lsof /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend

4. Disable automatic updates for Debian-based flavors to prevent conflicts.

Further Assistance

Kindly contact patchmanagerplus-support@manageengine.com for any queries.