cannot lock /etc/lvmconf

[Dave Bunting]

i was trying to import my vgxx, cannot a vgchange process is active (ps -ef) tried to kill the process...
then tried to vgvhange again...
received msg: cannot lock /etc/lvmconf...
any recommendations?

[Stefan Farrelly · Accepted solution]

If youve done a vg command and it appears to have hung then you have 2 choices;

1. wait for it to finish - it eventually will timeout with an error or complete.
2. reboot

If youve now tried to kill this vg command then your dead - you will have to reboot to fix it. A vgchange command will only appear to hang if its having a physical connection problem to the disks your trying to activate/import, so check the disks are available and connected aok. Check you can ioscan and diskinfo them all before trying the vgchange command again.

[Dave Bunting]

Actually, I did a vgchange awhile ago, thgought it hanged, tried to kill using process' PPID, then the process took a PPID of 1, then tried vgchange again, then received the cannot lock message, am I on a dead end now? Is a reboot inevitable?
Thanks Stefan...

[Stefan Farrelly]

Yes, youre dead. If you ever try to kill a vg command (which may appear to you to have hung) then your dead. Must reboot.

If it happens again then wait, eventually the vg command will return with an error. But if you cant then just reboot.

[Animesh Chakraborty]

Hi Dave,
Already rebooted ?
Always avoid killing vg command.Wait for it to finish - it will timeout with an error or complete.

Regards
Animesh