Python 3.10: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils.command.bdist_wininst'

[hroncok]

Hello. With Python 3.10.0a5+ we have this problem when running setuptools tests in Fedora:

==================================== ERRORS ====================================
_____________ ERROR collecting setuptools/command/bdist_wininst.py _____________
setuptools/command/bdist_wininst.py:1: in <module>
    import distutils.command.bdist_wininst as orig
E   ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils.command.bdist_wininst'
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Interrupted: 1 error during collection !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
========================= 2 skipped, 1 error in 1.41s ==========================

The bdist_wininst command deprecated in Python 3.8 has been removed. The bdist_wheel command is now recommended to distribute binary packages on Windows. (Contributed by @vstinner in bpo-42802.)

https://docs.python.org/3.10/whatsnew/3.10.html#distutils

[hroncok]

I suppose the import could be try-excepted and the file might do nothing if nothing is there.

Alternatively, the command could be removed from next setuptools version altogether.

[hroncok]

I've tried

rm setuptools/command/bdist_wininst.py setuptools/tests/test_bdist_deprecations.py

But I've been bit by pytest-dev/pytest#8227

[hroncok]

This will be tricky.

The distutils deprecation breaks a lot of tests and integration tests try to use old versions of pip that are not compatible with Python 3.10 due to collections.abc aliases removed from collections.

[hroncok]

I've drafted #2566 to solve my most immediate issues. That PR allows use to continue testing with Python 3.10.0a5 until a permanent solution is discussed.

[vstinner]

Oh, I expected setuptools to be compatible with bdist_wininst removal, I prepared the removal in setuptools with:

• commit 5d17586
• issue Fix install_scripts() if bdist_wininst is missing #1986

But it seems like I missed this issue.

[jaraco]

integration tests try to use old versions of pip that are not compatible with Python 3.10 due to collections.abc aliases removed from collections

This seems like a separate issue that can be worked around by skipping these tests on Python 3.10 for now. Do we know which versions of pip run on Python 3.10?

[jaraco]

This seems like a separate issue that can be worked around by skipping these tests on Python 3.10 for now. Do we know which versions of pip run on Python 3.10?

Looks like pip 19.2 fixed the issue and 19.1.1 is the last version with the defect.