E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[janis9]

Masters,

When I try to uninstall or install softwares, I always come across this problem, anyone can help?

~$ sudo apt-get remove google-chrome-stable
[sudo] password for janis: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  google-chrome-stable ttf-mscorefonts-installer
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 2 to remove and 184 not to upgrade.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 185 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: warning: there's no installed package matching ttf-mscorefonts-installer:i386
(Reading database ... 
dpkg: warning: files list file for package `ttf-mscorefonts-installer' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
(Reading database ... 236305 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing google-chrome-stable ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/chromium-browser to provide /usr/bin/x-www-browser (x-www-browser) in auto mode.
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/chromium-browser to provide /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser (gnome-www-browser) in auto mode.
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Setting up man-db (2.6.1-2ubuntu1) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
                                                                    Errors were encountered while processing:
 man-db
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[v3.xx]

Please run

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

and post all errors

[janis9]

I've run the code and the errors are shown below:

Unpacking replacement libc-bin ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead ...
Setting up libc-bin (2.15-0ubuntu10.12) ...
(Reading database ... 
dpkg: warning: files list file for package `ttf-mscorefonts-installer' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
(Reading database ... 236202 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc6 2.15-0ubuntu10.6 (using .../libc6_2.15-0ubuntu10.12_i386.deb) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.15-0ubuntu10.12_i386.deb (--unpack):
 subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.15-0ubuntu10.12_i386.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[slickymaster]

Masters,

When I try to uninstall or install softwares, I always come across this problem, anyone can help?

~$ sudo apt-get remove google-chrome-stable
[sudo] password for janis: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  google-chrome-stable ttf-mscorefonts-installer
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 2 to remove and 184 not to upgrade.
2 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 185 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: warning: there's no installed package matching ttf-mscorefonts-installer:i386
(Reading database ... 
dpkg: warning: files list file for package `ttf-mscorefonts-installer' missing, assuming package has no files currently installed.
(Reading database ... 236305 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing google-chrome-stable ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/chromium-browser to provide /usr/bin/x-www-browser (x-www-browser) in auto mode.
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/chromium-browser to provide /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser (gnome-www-browser) in auto mode.
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Setting up man-db (2.6.1-2ubuntu1) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing man-db (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
No apport report written because MaxReports has already been reached
                                                                    Errors were encountered while processing:
 man-db
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

dpkg management tool is hanged or is still running and did not return lock after its completion. Most often, this is only a transient situation. See https://wiki.edubuntu.org/DebuggingI...g.22_is_locked for more details.

Please open a terminal window to figure out the PID of the process that is holding the lock, by running:

sudo fuser -v /var/cache/debconf/config.dat

Take a note of the PID number and then, again in the terminal window

sudo kill PID_number
sudo kill -9 PID_number  # if the first doesn't work

Afterwards, run again

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

to confirm that everything is working as it should.

[matt_symes]

Hi

You could also trying the time honored Windows trick of rebooting your computer

That should also fix it if there is not a stale lock file lying around.

Kind regards

[janis9]

Thank you so much. Things work well now.

[slickymaster]

You're welcome. Glad you got it solved.

Please mark the thread as solved, so other people searching the forums know that it provides a working solution for this problem.

[mystified123]

I found this solution that worked for me !
sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite /var/cache/apt/archives/cinnamon-translations_2.8.0-20151023040309-trusty_all.deb


Here is the link with all the details!
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2304033