Thanks for your bug report. First of all, you're not using ubuntu-releaser, but apt.
Secondly, the lock message indicates something else is currently upgrading/installing packages or working the the database (possibly unattended-upgrades installing security updates), you have to wait for those to finish (whatever you do, do NOT delete the lock file, that's a common misconception about how locking works). ** Package changed: ubuntu-release-upgrader (Ubuntu) => apt (Ubuntu) ** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu) Status: New => Invalid -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1789412 Title: i can not upgrade to ubuntu 18 Status in apt package in Ubuntu: Invalid Bug description: neampoima@3na:~$ apt-get upgrade E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13: Permission denied) E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root? ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04 Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:16.04.25 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-134.160-generic 4.4.140 Uname: Linux 4.4.0-134-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.18 Architecture: amd64 CrashDB: ubuntu CurrentDesktop: GNOME-Flashback:Unity Date: Tue Aug 28 14:40:51 2018 InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-13 (1657 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1) PackageArchitecture: all SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2018-08-28 (0 days ago) VarLogDistupgradeTermlog: To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1789412/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp