'encodings' module gone in Python 2.5?

[Jonathan E. Brickman]

Am working on a Smart SRPM for Ark Linux.  Smart built and ran very 
nicely indeed with the current stable Python in Ark, which is Python 
2.4.  But I need to build the Smart SRPM based on Python 2.5 if 
possible, along with the newest PyGTK (2.8.6).  So far it builds and 
installs fine, but when I try to run in either command-line or GUI mode, 
it gives:

[root at localhost SPECS]# smart

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/usr/bin/smart", line 27, in <module>

    from smart import init, initDistro, initPlugins, initPsyco

  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/smart/__init__.py", line 23, in <module>

    from gettext import translation

  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/gettext.py", line 49, in <module>

  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/locale.py", line 14, in <module>

ImportError: No module named encodings

[root at localhost SPECS]#

I composed a very simple test.py containing "from encodings import *", 
and it gave the same error.  I also was not able to locate an 
encodings.py* within Python 2.5 standard libs.  Anyone know what I am 
doing wrong?  If desireable, I can certainly build a new release of 
Ark's Python 2.5 RPM, but I have to know what's wrong first, and I 
didn't find anything indicative through a Google search.

J.E.B.