Gina

I've checked what processes are running and there's nothing other than the System Monitor itself.

The command to run the script is :- sudo ./setupAstroPi3.sh

Tried a reboot, ran Firefox to copy command lines to Terminal and tried removing the lock file without success as before. Then closed Firefox so that couldn't interfere and tried again but no joy. rm removed lock file and checked with ls followed by running the script and got the same lock error.

Firefox is playing up on the RPi now - not getting "Submit Reply" in the editor. Is your v18 beta?

Oh!

Maybe I should return to the earlier Mate.

I can try that though I have rebooted a few times. Trouble is... with Ubuntu Mate the Terminal history is not saved over reboots (unlike Mint) so I run Firefox to copy the commands from. Could that be the problem - hasn't been before and I've used this process several times in the past though on v16.04.02 rather than 18.04.02.

sudo dpkg --configure -a produced nothing.

gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ ls /var/lib/dpkg alternatives diversions lock statoverride triggers available diversions-old lock-frontend status updates cmethopt info parts status-old gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ ls /var/lib/dpkg alternatives diversions lock-frontend status updates available diversions-old parts status-old cmethopt info statoverride triggers gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ sudo ./setupAstroPi3.sh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Welcome to the AstroPi3 Raspberry Pi 3 Ubuntu-Mate KStars/INDI Configuration Script. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ This will update, install and configure your Raspberry Pi 3 to work with INDI and KStars to be a hub for Astrophotography. Be sure to read the script first to see what it does and to customize it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are you ready to proceed (y/n)? y dpkg is currently locked, meaning another program is either checking for updates or is currently updating the system. Please wait for a few minutes or quit the other process and run this script again. Exiting now. gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ ls /var/lib/dpkg alternatives diversions lock statoverride triggers available diversions-old lock-frontend status updates cmethopt info parts status-old gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$ I get rid of it and confirm that but it comes back before or when the script is run!!

Problem NOT solved! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Welcome to the AstroPi3 Raspberry Pi 3 Ubuntu-Mate KStars/INDI Configuration Script. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ This will update, install and configure your Raspberry Pi 3 to work with INDI and KStars to be a hub for Astrophotography. Be sure to read the script first to see what it does and to customize it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are you ready to proceed (y/n)? y dpkg is currently locked, meaning another program is either checking for updates or is currently updating the system. Please wait for a few minutes or quit the other process and run this script again. Exiting now. gina@asc:~/AstroPi3$

I've found a file /var/lib/dpkg/lock. Do you think it's safe to delete this?

Thanks, but where, how do I find it? This was a clean installation.

With lots of problems with the firmware for my all sky camera I decided to take an already corrupted micro SD card and install a new system on it. Downloaded the latest Ubuntu Mate (18-04-02 beta) and installed it using the latest version of Etcher. After editing config.sys according to AstroPi3, put the card in the RPi connected to monitor, keyboard and trackball and ran Mate. After the initial setup I set up WiFi which was simply a matter of entering the password and connecting. Went onto github with Firefox, read the AstroPi3 script (on RPi this time) and followed the instructions. All went well until I tried tried to run the script when I got an error message "dpkg locked" and to wait or stop the app that was running. Waited over an hour but still the same. Ran the System Monitor and there was nothing running except itself. At this point I'm stumped.

Ubuntu Mate worked fine in the RPi and the WiFi just needed the password putting in and it worked straight off. Then ran Firefox and SGL and looked at AstroPi3 on github. Followed the instructions and all went well until I tried to run the script and then got error message "dpkg locked" and to wait or stop the app that was running. Waited over an hour but still the same. Ran the System Monitor and there was nothing running except itself. At this point I'm stumped. ASC will not be running tonight!!

Same result but I noticed Etcher said it was out-of-date so I downloaded the latest version and ran that. That cured the problem and I'm going ahead with the latest Ubuntu Mate.

Downloaded Ubuntu Mate v18-04-02 and wrote it to micro SD card with Etcher then tried to edit /boot/config.txt as recommended in AstroPi but the file is faulty and won't open. Checks didn't report any errors so I guess the latest version of Ubuntu Mate is faulty - it is listed as "beta". Guess I'll revert to the earlier version that I know works.

I guess I might as well download the latest version of Ubuntu Mate, write it to a card, put it in the an RPi and then run the AstroPi script to install all the INDI drivers and follow my tutorial. May do that tomorrow though I can download Ubuntu and write it to SD card. The rest of the setting up requires monitor, keyboard and trackball/mouse on the RPi.

Thought I'd install a previously saved image from an earlier ASC version onto a non-working micro SD card but Etcher is not recognising any of my saved images. I guess the format must be wrong. The images were saved with the Windows app. I thought I'd written some of them with Etcher but looks like I'm wrong.

Been trying to get the INDI driver working for the focus. Used the proper files for the asc2 version replacing the asc version which used the Astroberry Focuser and which doesn't provide the functionality I require. The asc2 uses my own code to move focus either way from cold (AF only moves focus one way). Now I can't seem to get my code working. I may yet build the firmware image with drivers from scratch.

After a struggle, I've got the Concorde printing. Should be alright as long as the print doesn't come off the bed.

Trying to print the mast coupler on my Concorde printer with 2.85mm filament as I've run out of 1.75mm PETG. Concorde is having so many problems that I'm considering scrapping it and building another printer!

Photos of new outer casing plus model of new mast coupling.

Outer casing top has just finished printing and now ooling down. I'll print the new part that connects the ASC to the mast tomorrow and also sort out the electronics to control focus, camera cooling and dew heater. Probably have solid 100% cloud cover tomorrow night! But we'll see...

Motor to lens focus ring gearing and other bits finished and fitted. Outer casing top design modified and now printing but probably won't be finished before dark. I can't see the rest being finished in time for any clear sky tonight either. I can only do what I can do and if it's not ready, it's not ready... I will be completed in due course and if it's not this month it may be next month!

Lovely ? What a difference!