diff --git a/ddsc/core/util.py b/ddsc/core/util.py
index 8307bb0..1af9afc 100644
--- a/ddsc/core/util.py
+++ b/ddsc/core/util.py
@@ -301,8 +301,7 @@ def verify_terminal_encoding(encoding):
     Raises ValueError with error message when terminal encoding is not Unicode(contains UTF ignoring case).
     :param encoding: str: encoding we want to check
     """
-    encoding = encoding or ''
-    if not ("UTF" in encoding.upper()):
+    if encoding and not ("UTF" in encoding.upper()):
         raise ValueError(TERMINAL_ENCODING_NOT_UTF_ERROR)
 
 

Checks for terminal encoding prevents piping/redirection
Noticed when I was reviewing #153 that I can't pipe the output of ddsclient anywhere because it fails the terminal encoding check:

```
$ ddsclient list > projects

ERROR: DukeDSClient requires UTF terminal encoding.

Follow this guide for adjusting your terminal encoding:
  https://github.com/Duke-GCB/DukeDSClient/blob/master/docs/UnicodeTerminalSetup.md
```

I can force with `PYTHONIOENCODING=UTF ddsclient list > projects`

But that's not very unix-y. I've also seen this issue on cluster jobs - trying to srun ddsclient. Had to force the PYTHONIOENCODING there too.
diff --git a/ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py b/ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py
index dc20606..4d42be9 100644
--- a/ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py
@@ -16,13 +16,11 @@ class TestUtil(TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             verify_terminal_encoding('ascii')
 
-    def test_verify_terminal_encoding_empty_raises(self):
-        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            verify_terminal_encoding('')
+    def test_verify_terminal_encoding_empty_is_ok(self):
+        verify_terminal_encoding('')
 
-    def test_verify_terminal_encoding_none_raises(self):
-        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            verify_terminal_encoding(None)
+    def test_verify_terminal_encoding_none_is_ok(self):
+        verify_terminal_encoding(None)
 
 
 class TestProgressBar(TestCase):

pip install -e .[dev]
parse_log_pytest
requirements.txt
pytest coverage mock flake8
apt-get update apt-get install -y gcc
3.9
requirements.txt
pytest --no-header -rA --tb=line --color=no -p no:cacheprovider -W ignore::DeprecationWarning
coverage==7.8.0
-e git+https://github.com/Duke-GCB/DukeDSClient.git@3137fc3d94da3754c85715f3912bbebbe22d19be#egg=DukeDSClient
exceptiongroup==1.2.2
flake8==7.2.0
future==0.16.0
iniconfig==2.1.0
mccabe==0.7.0
mock==5.2.0
packaging==24.2
pluggy==1.5.0
pycodestyle==2.13.0
pyflakes==3.3.2
pytest==8.3.5
pytz==2025.2
PyYAML==3.12
requests==2.13.0
six==1.10.0
tomli==2.2.1

name: DukeDSClient
channels:
  - defaults
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
  - conda-forge
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
  - _openmp_mutex=5.1=1_gnu
  - ca-certificates=2025.2.25=h06a4308_0
  - ld_impl_linux-64=2.40=h12ee557_0
  - libffi=3.4.4=h6a678d5_1
  - libgcc-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libgomp=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libstdcxx-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - ncurses=6.4=h6a678d5_0
  - openssl=3.0.16=h5eee18b_0
  - pip=25.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - python=3.9.21=he870216_1
  - readline=8.2=h5eee18b_0
  - setuptools=75.8.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - sqlite=3.45.3=h5eee18b_0
  - tk=8.6.14=h39e8969_0
  - tzdata=2025a=h04d1e81_0
  - wheel=0.45.1=py39h06a4308_0
  - xz=5.6.4=h5eee18b_1
  - zlib=1.2.13=h5eee18b_1
  - pip:
      - coverage==7.8.0
      - exceptiongroup==1.2.2
      - flake8==7.2.0
      - future==0.16.0
      - iniconfig==2.1.0
      - mccabe==0.7.0
      - mock==5.2.0
      - packaging==24.2
      - pluggy==1.5.0
      - pycodestyle==2.13.0
      - pyflakes==3.3.2
      - pytest==8.3.5
      - pytz==2025.2
      - pyyaml==3.12
      - requests==2.13.0
      - six==1.10.0
      - tomli==2.2.1
prefix: /opt/conda/envs/DukeDSClient

ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestUtil::test_verify_terminal_encoding_empty_is_ok ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestUtil::test_verify_terminal_encoding_none_is_ok
ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestUtil::test_verify_terminal_encoding_ascii_raises ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestUtil::test_verify_terminal_encoding_lower ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestUtil::test_verify_terminal_encoding_upper ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestProgressBar::test_show_no_waiting ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestProgressBar::test_show_with_waiting ddsc/core/tests/test_util.py::TestProgressPrinter::test_stuff
ddsc/core/util.py
ddsc/core/util.py