SUSE Zypper Already Running

Problem

You receive an error message "Patch scan/deployment operation failed because the Zypper 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

This can happen due to one of the following reasons:

1. SUSE automatic updates are running in the background.
2. A user-initiated software installation is currently in progress.
3. The user could have run commands based on zypper.
4. A patch scan or deployment via Patch Manager Plus could already be using zypper.

Resolution

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

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 zypper tool:
   • Use the command below to check if any instance of zypper is currently running:
     ps aux | grep zypper

Further Assistance

Kindly contact patchmanagerplus-support@manageengine.com if the issue still persists.