Ubuntu-23.04 version apt-get update not working (python3 error)

Dhaval Shah

7/22/24, 9:53 PM

I have new ubuntu system with version 23.04 and when i do sudo apt-get update I get the following output.

Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Python path configuration:
  PYTHONHOME = (not set)
  PYTHONPATH = (not set)
  program name = '/usr/bin/python3'
  isolated = 0
  environment = 1
  user site = 1
  safe_path = 0
  import site = 1
  is in build tree = 0
  stdlib dir = '/usr/lib/python3.11'
  sys._base_executable = '/usr/bin/python3'
  sys.base_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.base_exec_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.platlibdir = 'lib'
  sys.executable = '/usr/bin/python3'
  sys.prefix = '/usr'
  sys.exec_prefix = '/usr'
  sys.path = [
    '/usr/lib/python311.zip',
    '/usr/lib/python3.11',
    '/usr/lib/python3.11/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 0x00007fea58b1d040 (most recent call first):
  <no Python frame>
Reading package lists... Done
E: Problem executing scripts APT::Update::Post-Invoke-Success 'if /usr/bin/test -w /var/lib/command-not-found/ -a -e /usr/lib/cnf-update-db; then /usr/lib/cnf-update-db > /dev/null; fi'

I tried to then update all of my packages, including python, but when I performed apt-get update I get the following output and errors below

0 + 3

python3

23.04

guiverc

7/22/24, 10:48 PM

Have you changed the default `python3` version, as front-end user tools like `apt` rely on the version being the system default. If you've changed default python, it's expected many Ubuntu tools (*those written to use python3 version*) will not work. Basic tools will still work, such as `wget` to download a package and `dpkg` to install, but user-front-end tools which are written in python3 won't work. Return the `python3` version to default. If you enter `python3 -V` what do you see?

Hannu

7/23/24, 8:51 AM

For normal (inexperienced) users, any updates to Ubuntu is best done using apt or apt-get (command line option) or other related system tools (e.g. `Software & Updates`, GUI), not by downloading random packages with home-brew install instructions.

karel

7/25/24, 7:15 AM

Does this answer your question? [Python broke somehow "Could not find platform independent libraries <prefix>"](https://askubuntu.com/questions/874763/python-broke-somehow-could-not-find-platform-independent-libraries-prefix)

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