[Bug 1798369] Re: Reinstall Ubuntu (with preserving existing data) fails due to "Could not get lock /target/var/cache/apt/archives/lock"

[Balint Reczey]

I installed cosmic in a KVM vm using virt-manager, then ran update-
manager to update a few packages leaving the lock file behind, restarted
to the installer, chose reinstall and the installer is stuck in
systemd[1]: Started Cleanup of Temporary Directories.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1798369

Title:
  Reinstall Ubuntu (with preserving existing data) fails due to "Could
  not get lock /target/var/cache/apt/archives/lock"

Status in APT:
  New
Status in ubiquity:
  New
Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  When trying to reinstall an existing Ubuntu cosmic installation using
  latest 18.10 desktop images, the install fails around the end of the
  installation with an "Error restoring installed applications". Looking
  at the syslog such a traceback can be seen:

  apt_pkg.Error: E:Could not get lock
  /target/var/cache/apt/archives/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily
  unavailable), E:Unable to lock directory
  /target/var/cache/apt/archives/

  After reproducing this on a live session, after chrooting into /target
  indeed any apt-get install operations result in the same lock-file
  error. The whole syslog of the reinstall attached to the bug.

  Test case:
   * Download latest cosmic image
   * Install cosmic on the whole disk (can be on a VM)
   * (optional) Boot into the system and leave a file in the home directory (to leave a trace, just in case)
   * Reboot and install cosmic using the first option in ubiquity: Reinstall Ubuntu
   * Finish configuration

  The install will fail around the end of the installation process.

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