nRF Connect SDK: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

[Guilherme Costa]

Hi,

I am using the nRF Connect SDK 2.3.0 and running into an issue when calling python from the terminal opened from the Toolchain Manager (via the Open Terminal option).

Calling `python` from this terminal gives me the following error:

Python path configuration:
  PYTHONHOME = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local'
  PYTHONPATH = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages'
  program name = 'python'
  isolated = 0
  environment = 1
  user site = 1
  import site = 1
  sys._base_executable = '/usr/bin/python'
  sys.base_prefix = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local'
  sys.base_exec_prefix = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local'
  sys.platlibdir = 'lib'
  sys.executable = '/usr/bin/python'
  sys.prefix = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local'
  sys.exec_prefix = '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local'
  sys.path = [
    '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages',
    '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local/lib/python310.zip',
    '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local/lib/python3.10',
    '/home/guilherme/ncs/toolchains/v2.3.0/usr/local/lib/python3.10/lib-dynload',
  ]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x00007f6c65212740 (most recent call first):
  <no Python frame>

If I use python3 instead of python, it works as expected. This causes me more trouble down the line because I have a west extension that uses subprocess.Popen() and I run into the exact same error trace.

What might be causing this and how do I solve the problem?

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

I can try to give you some questions which might figure out the issue.

Lets start with: Which python version(s) do you have installed on your computer?

[mlac]

I have Python 3.10.12 installed.

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

When googling the encoding error, it looks like it usually works to fix pythonpaths: https://stackabuse.com/bytes/resolving-modulenotfounderror-no-module-named-encodings-in-python/

I suspect that the toolchain somehow uses your systems python instead of its own local version.
In the Toolcahin Manager, can you click "Open Terminal" next to the toolchain version.
Then in the terminal, use these two commands to try and see where python is set from:

env
whereis python

You can also try to set $PYTHONPATH to make python point to the Toolchain Managers Python version.

[mlac]

I've already provided what you're asking in my first comment above.

PYTHONPATH is /home/laci/projects/ncs/toolchains/1f9b40e71a/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

mlac said:

I've already provided what you're asking in my first comment above.

PYTHONPATH is /home/laci/projects/ncs/toolchains/1f9b40e71a/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages

Ah, I missed that.

From your logs, do I understand it correctly that you get the error when you just type "python" inside that terminal?
Do you also get the same error when trying to build a project using VS Code or west?