unable to install applications

[dln949]

Disover does not work well for system (pacman) packages on Arch and Arch-based distributions, because the PackageKit alpm backend is buggy and poorly maintained (see, e.g., https://forum.manjaro.org/t/discover-sys...ble/110378).

Thanks to both of you.  Deleting the lock file seems to have fixed the packagekit problem.  

I read the linik about the problems with the Discover application.  Can't say I fully understood all of it - especially since this pinetab is my first ever exposure to Arch Linux.  So, here's my question:  

For the PineTab2, what is the recommended way to update the OS, to update applications, and to search for and innstall new non-flatpak applications?