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I tried a lot of solutions posted here, but none of them work. I am trying to install vlc. Here's the whole output.

:/$ sudo apt-get install vlc
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
vlc is already the newest version (2.2.2-5).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
Setting up libpam-systemd:amd64 (229-4ubuntu13) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing package libpam-systemd:amd64 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 libpam-systemd:amd64
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Zanna
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Simeon Aleksov
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  • vlc seems to be installed already (see `vlc is already the newest version`), but there is a problem with configuring package `libpam-systemd`. Issue `fuser -v /var/cache/debconf/config.dat` to find out which process locks that file. – ridgy Dec 26 '16 at 11:16
  • @ridgy nothing happens – Simeon Aleksov Dec 26 '16 at 11:16
  • What about `sudo fuser -v /var/cache/debconf/config.dat`? – ridgy Dec 26 '16 at 11:21
  • @ridgy `at USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /var/cache/debconf/config.dat: root 8020 F.... frontend ` – Simeon Aleksov Dec 26 '16 at 11:22
  • seems you got PID there but give full information to know what is processing using that file. – Raja G Dec 26 '16 at 11:23
  • @Raja what full information? – Simeon Aleksov Dec 26 '16 at 11:25
  • It seems there is some other process running `dpkg` from a frontend(?). You may find out more by `sudo ps -ef | grep 8020` and then stop that process, either by closing ist window (if visible) or by killing the process: `sudo kill 8020` or `sudo kill -9 8020` (the hard way). – ridgy Dec 26 '16 at 11:27
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    Does this answer your question? ["debconf: DbDriver "config": config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable" while installing packages](https://askubuntu.com/questions/136881/debconf-dbdriver-config-config-dat-is-locked-by-another-process-resource-t) – karel Dec 10 '19 at 05:47
  • @karel This question is 3 years old..I think I solved it somehow but don't remember how. – Simeon Aleksov Dec 11 '19 at 17:15

1 Answers1

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From the given log report we found that /var/cache/debconf/config.dat file has been locked by some other process.

We have to release /var/cache/debconf/config.dat file from that process.

Open terminal and type lsof /var/cache/debconf/config.dat and you would get process name thats been using config.dat file and kill that process with either

kill <space> PID

or

kill <space> -9 <space> PID

then try again.

Hope it will help.

Zanna
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Raja G
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