Upgrade tool error commiting packages

Ubuntu 7.10 (Kubuntu DVD) installed from both Live and text, same symptom.
Brand new install. Ran updates.
Message: "There was an error committing packages. Possibly there was a problem downloading some packages or the commit would break packages."

Next message: "a new distribution version is available! Click next if you wish to upgrade now"

Upon attempt to upgrade I got: "Unable to get exclusive lock. this usually means that another package management application (like apt-get or aptitude) already running. Please close that application first."

If I go to System | Adept Manager I get: "Another process is using the packaging system database (probably some other Adept application or apt-get or aptitude). Would you like to attempt to resolve this problem? No will enter read-only mode and Cancel to quit and resolve this issue yourself."

When I click yes, I get the KDE Crash Handler with the message "The application Adept Manager crashed and caused the signal 6 (SIGABRT)..."

The Backtrace tab has:
(no debugging symbols found)
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/tls/i686/cmov/libthread_db.so.1".
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread -1235392304 (LWP 15662)]
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
(no debugging symbols found)
[KCrash handler]
#6 0xffffe410 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#7 0xb6631875 in raise () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#8 0xb6633201 in abort () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#9 0xb683c6e0 in __gnu_cxx::__verbose_terminate_handler ()
   from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#10 0xb6839f65 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#11 0xb6839fa2 in std::terminate () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#12 0xb683a0ca in __cxa_throw () from /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6
#13 0x0812b916 in ?? ()
#14 0x0812be8a in ?? ()
#15 0x0812bee8 in ?? ()
#16 0x0812c735 in ?? ()
#17 0x0812a22d in ?? ()
#18 0x08114379 in ?? ()
#19 0x080951ed in ?? ()
#20 0x0807378d in ?? ()
#21 0x0807408e in ?? ()
#22 0xb6e81893 in QObject::activate_signal () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#23 0xb720d8ec in QSignal::signal () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#24 0xb6ea1842 in QSignal::activate () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#25 0xb6ea9258 in QSingleShotTimer::event () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#26 0xb6e18af0 in QApplication::internalNotify () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#27 0xb6e1a91f in QApplication::notify () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#28 0xb75decd2 in KApplication::notify () from /usr/lib/libkdecore.so.4
#29 0xb6dab209 in QApplication::sendEvent () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#30 0xb6e0b53b in QEventLoop::activateTimers () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#31 0xb6dbfd49 in QEventLoop::processEvents () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#32 0xb6e331ce in QEventLoop::enterLoop () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#33 0xb6e32fde in QEventLoop::exec () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#34 0xb6e1a699 in QApplication::exec () from /usr/lib/libqt-mt.so.3
#35 0x0806f75e in ?? ()
#36 0xb661d050 in __libc_start_main () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6
#37 0x0806f401 in ?? ()