Dpkg Was Interrupted You Must Manually Run Sudo Dpkg Configure To Correct The Problem Jun 2026

If the system thinks another process is still using the package manager, it will block you. Remove the manual locks with:

If no backup exists, you can try to regenerate it – but that's complex. Instead, reinstall dpkg manually from a live USB or use the --force-* options with caution:

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend – open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)

If you've tried all of the above and still cannot resolve the error, consider these options:

If you are a Linux user, chances are you have encountered this error message at least once. It usually appears when you try to install a new package, run an update, or use apt-get . It looks something like this: If the system thinks another process is still

Sometimes you’ll see an error like:

Common causes:

When dpkg runs, it locks its database ( /var/lib/dpkg/lock ) to prevent corruption. If the process is interrupted, the lock remains, and dpkg doesn't know if the last operation succeeded or failed. The system then refuses to run any new installations until you manually fix the unfinished business.

| Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | | Closing the terminal or SSH session while apt or dpkg is running. | | Power loss or system crash | Sudden shutdown during installation. | | Running multiple package managers | Using apt , dpkg , snap , or Software Center simultaneously. | | Killing the dpkg process | Accidentally using kill -9 on dpkg or apt. | | Network interruption | While downloading packages, but the actual interrupt happens during the configuration phase. | | Corrupted package scripts | Some third‑party .deb packages have buggy pre‑ or post‑installation scripts. | It usually appears when you try to install

Run the exact command the error suggests:

Below are advanced troubleshooting steps to try if the basic fix fails.

Were you installing a when the crash occurred? Share public link

This guide explains why this happens and provides a step-by-step walkthrough to safely resolve the issue and fix your package manager. What Causes This Error? The system then refuses to run any new

It removed the "lock" files that had been preventing other installations. E: dpkg was interrupted... run 'sudo dpkg --configure

The error message itself is unusually helpful. It literally tells you what command to run:

sudo dpkg --audit