Idea concerning the update lock / trying to install an app the same time: a pop-up message to wait?

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Installing apps right away after say, for example installation when Ubuntu starts, the updating goes on automatically in the background leads to confusing “locking” trouble.

A lock file happens when the updating or installation of updates go on in the background as far as i know.

So, when trying to install something during this background process (sudo apt install ) or the App Center, it can’t be done because something else is indeed still installing programs on the computer and a new comer cannot know this.

Many have suggested that Ubuntu should pop a some kind of informative (or a ‘warning message’) telling user to wait until updates are finished in the background.

This kind of problems often demonstrate how a normal person will use Linux and how things are not obvious. Apart of some kind of pop-up appearing, what other methods or approaches could be used?

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A hypothetical “normal person” should be using App Center. That’s how typical users are expected to find and install software in their familiar desktop GUI environment.

As both Unattended Upgrades and App Center use Aptdaemon, which should be queuing the actions, there should be no “locking problems.” If App Center is failing with lock errors, that seems like a bug – please file a proper bug report.

Many lockfile errors that support volunteers encounter occur when a user jumps to terminal instead of using App Center. Common enough, and worthy of discussion, but the term “normal” is distracting.

Well, the user could install a snap package instead of a deb.

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