Bug#1135601: marked as done (apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users)

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Your message dated Sun, 3 May 2026 14:37:03 +0200
with message-id <[email protected]>
and subject line Re: Bug#1135601: apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users
has caused the Debian Bug report #1135601,
regarding apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
Bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

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1135601: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=3D1135601
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From: Ashwin Gundarapu <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 3 May 2026 17:24:27 +0530
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Message-ID: <CANAeh8dGDPif3_HSPj0-vGjcT9Uutq5atzU9cQ9ByuqjZsrcqQ@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users
To: [email protected]
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Package: apt
Severity: wishlist
Tags: patch

When apt encounters a stale lock file with no owning process,
it warns users not to remove it but gives no actionable advice.
This patch adds a clear hint with the exact command to run.

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Package: apt<br>Severity: wishlist<br>Tags: patch<br><br>W=
hen apt encounters a stale lock file with no owning process,<br>it warns us=
ers not to remove it but gives no actionable advice.<br>This patch adds a c=
lear hint with the exact command to run.</div>

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Date: Sun, 3 May 2026 14:37:03 +0200
From: David Kalnischkies <[email protected]>
To: Ashwin Gundarapu <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Bug#1135601: apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users
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Subject: Re: Bug#1135601: apt: Add stale lock removal hint for users
MIME-Version: 1.0

Am Sun, May 03, 2026 at 05:24:27PM +0530, schrieb Ashwin Gundarapu:
> When apt encounters a stale lock file with no owning process,

This can not happen by definition of how flock operates.

The existence of the file is of no concern. It is always there
(after the first run). File existence is not the lock.

A process having an open file descriptor for this file and getting
a lock on that is. A process releases a file descriptor automatically
if it ends, regardless if sucessfully or otherwise.

It can not be "stale". So if the lock is still active, a process
owning that lock is still in existence. That process might "hang",
if so we will need to figure out which one and why, but removing the
lock file is NEVER the solution to that problem. The removal of the
file is not releasing the lock. The file descriptor remains open even
if the filename it was opened with disappears. So you now have two
processes both believing to be the sole owner of a lock. At least one
of them probably doing things in the background like an unattended
upgrade activation.

The code just handles the case of the kernel not knowing or telling
us (in a way libapt could understand programmatically) which process
owns the lock. You will have to read kernel documentation as to why
it might do so. libapt is just defensive here.


As this is fundamentely bad, incorrect & potentially dangerous advise,
based on a misunderstanding of how flock'ing works =E2=80=93 that is sadly =
way
too common =E2=80=93 I am closing this wishlist item as "hell no".


Best regards

David Kalnischkies

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