[python] ImportError: No module named 'encodings'

I recently reinstalled ubuntu and did upgrade to 16.04 and cannot use python:

$ python manage.py runserver
Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to <prefix>[:<exec_prefix>]
Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: Unable to get the locale encoding
ImportError: No module named 'encodings'
Aborted

At this point, python itself doesn't work

$ python
Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to <prefix>[:<exec_prefix>]
Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: Unable to get the locale encoding
ImportError: No module named 'encodings'
Aborted

Even this suggestion is no longer working:

unset PYTHONHOME
unset PYTHONPATH

Every every I fix it one way, it comes back again. Several answers help to fix it temporarily, but not for good. I've reinstalled python and python3 several times. What can I do from here? Thank you

I got this error when try to launch MySql Workbench 8.0 on my macOS Catalina 10.15.3.

I solved this issue by installing Python 3.7 on my system.

I guess in future, when Workbench will have version greater than 8, it will require newer version of Python. Just look at the library path in the error and you will find required version.

I had this error during migration to Ubuntu 17.10, and this solved the problem :

sudo dpkg-reconfigure python3

Maybe you will have to close your session and reconnect.

I could also fix this. PYTHONPATH and PYTHONHOME were in cause.

run this in a terminal

   touch ~/.bash_profile
   open ~/.bash_profile

and then delete all useless parts of this file, and save. I do not know how recommended it is to do that !

Because this is the first result in google I just want to add the following information for anybody else having problems with jails:

Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to <prefix>[:<exec_prefix>]
Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: Unable to get the locale encoding
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x00007f079b16d740 (most recent call first):
Aborted (core dumped)

When attempting to import python into your jail you both need to link the dependencies and /usr/lib/pythonX.Y to [JAIL]/usr/lib/. Hope this helps.

For Windows10 User.

I was using python3.4 on Windows10. I installed python3.5. I couldn't find PYTHONPATH, PYTHONHOME env variable. If I command python in CMD console, It kept using python3.4. I deleted python3.4. Whenever I command python in CMD console, it starts showing an error like below.

Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: Unable to get the locale encoding
ImportError: No module named 'encodings'

I searched to figure out my problem. Solution was simple. When you install python3.5, you can custom install and check Add Python to environment variables in Advanced Options.

I just leave here for case that someone have similar issues visit here so that they don't waste their precious time much to figure out.

I was facing the same problem under Windows7. The error message looks like that:

Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: unable to load the file system codec
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x000011f4 (most recent call first):

I have installed python 2.7(uninstalled now), and I checked "Add Python to environment variables in Advanced Options" while installing python 3.6. It comes out that the Environment Variable "PYTHONHOME" and "PYTHONPATH" is still python2.7.

Finally I solved it by modify "PYTHONHOME" to python3.6 install path and remove variable "PYTHONPATH".

In my case just changing the permissions of anaconda folder worked:

sudo chmod -R u=rwx,g=rx,o=rx /path/to/anaconda   

Had the same problem when updating my mac to macOS Catalina, while using pipenv. Pipenv creates and manages a virtualenv for you, so the earlier suggestion from @Anoop-Malav is the same, just using pipenv to remove the virtual environment based on the current dir and reset it:

pipenv --rm
pipenv shell  # recreate a virtual env with your current Pipfile

I had a similar issue. I had both anaconda and python installed on my computer and my python dependencies were from the Anaconda directory. When I uninstalled Anaconda, this error started popping. I added PYTHONPATH but it still didn't go. I checked with python -version and go to know that it was still taking the anaconda path. I had to manually delete Anaconda3 directory and after that python started taking dependencies from PYTHONPATH.
Issue Solved!

Just go to File -> Settings -> select Project Interpreter under Project tab -> click on the small gear icon -> Add -> System Interpreter -> select the python version you want in the drop down menu

this seemed to work for me

Look at /lib/python3.5 and you will see broken links to python libraries. Recreate it to working directory.

Next error -

./script/bin/pip3
Failed to import the site module
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/site.py", line 703, in <module>
    main()
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/site.py", line 683, in main
    paths_in_sys = addsitepackages(paths_in_sys)
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/site.py", line 282, in addsitepackages
    addsitedir(sitedir, known_paths)
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/site.py", line 204, in addsitedir
    addpackage(sitedir, name, known_paths)
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/site.py", line 173, in addpackage
    exec(line)
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/types.py", line 166, in <module>
    import functools as _functools
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/functools.py", line 23, in <module>
    from weakref import WeakKeyDictionary
  File "/home/script/script/lib/python3.5/weakref.py", line 12, in <module>
    from _weakref import (
ImportError: cannot import name '_remove_dead_weakref'

fixed like this - https://askubuntu.com/questions/907035/importerror-cannot-import-name-remove-dead-weakref

cd my-virtualenv-directory
virtualenv . --system-site-packages

For the same issue on Windows7

You will see an error like this if your environment variables/ system variables are incorrectly set:

Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: unable to load the file system codec
ImportError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x00001db4 (most recent call first):

Fixing this is really simple:

1. When you download Python3.x version, and run the .exe file, it gives you an option to customize where in your system you want to install Python. For example, I chose this location: C:\Program Files\Python36

2. Then open system properties and go to "Advanced" tab (Or you can simply do this: Go to Start > Search for "environment variables" > Click on "Edit the system environment variables".) Under the "Advanced" tab, look for "Environment Variables" and click it. Another window with name "Environment Variables" will pop up.

3. Now make sure your user variables have the correct Python path listed in "Path Variable". In my example here, you should see C:\Program Files\Python36. If you do not find it there, add it, by selecting Path Variable field and clicking Edit.

4. Last step is to double-check PYTHONHOME and PYTHONPATH fields under System Variables in the same window. You should see the same path as described above. If not add it there too.

Then click OK and go back to CMD terminal, and try checking for python. The issue should now be resolved. It worked for me.

I was facing this issue "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings" after updating to macOS Catalina.

I was having multiple versions of Python installed in my system.

Removing all the python versions(2.7 and 3.7.4) from macOS system and reinstalling the latest python 3.8 worked for me.

To remove a python from macOS, I've followed the instructions from here How to uninstall Python 2.7 on a Mac OS X 10.6.4?

The above link is for python 2.7 and but you can use the same for 3.7 also.