ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils' in latest release

Expected behaviour

distutils is deprecated and should not be used in the module.

Actual behaviour

Installing latest version of opencv_python runs into an exception because of the distutils reference.

Call Stack

ERROR: Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\cli\base_command.py", line 180, in exc_logging_wrapper
status = run_func(*args)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\cli\req_command.py", line 245, in wrapper
return func(self, options, args)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\commands\install.py", line 377, in run
requirement_set = resolver.resolve(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\resolver.py", line 95, in resolve
result = self._result = resolver.resolve(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\resolvelib\resolvers.py", line 546, in resolve
state = resolution.resolve(requirements, max_rounds=max_rounds)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\resolvelib\resolvers.py", line 397, in resolve
self._add_to_criteria(self.state.criteria, r, parent=None)
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\resolvelib\resolvers.py", line 173, in _add_to_criteria
if not criterion.candidates:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\resolvelib\structs.py", line 156, in bool
return bool(self._sequence)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\found_candidates.py", line 155, in bool
return any(self)
^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\found_candidates.py", line 143, in
return (c for c in iterator if id(c) not in self._incompatible_ids)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\found_candidates.py", line 97, in _iter_built_with_inserted
candidate = func()
^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\factory.py", line 182, in _make_candidate_from_link
base: Optional[BaseCandidate] = self._make_base_candidate_from_link(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\factory.py", line 228, in _make_base_candidate_from_link
self._link_candidate_cache[link] = LinkCandidate(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\candidates.py", line 290, in init
super().init(
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\candidates.py", line 156, in init
self.dist = self._prepare()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\candidates.py", line 222, in _prepare
dist = self._prepare_distribution()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\resolution\resolvelib\candidates.py", line 301, in _prepare_distribution
return preparer.prepare_linked_requirement(self._ireq, parallel_builds=True)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\operations\prepare.py", line 525, in prepare_linked_requirement
return self._prepare_linked_requirement(req, parallel_builds)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\operations\prepare.py", line 640, in _prepare_linked_requirement
dist = _get_prepared_distribution(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\operations\prepare.py", line 71, in _get_prepared_distribution
abstract_dist.prepare_distribution_metadata(
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\distributions\sdist.py", line 54, in prepare_distribution_metadata
self._install_build_reqs(finder)
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\distributions\sdist.py", line 124, in _install_build_reqs
build_reqs = self._get_build_requires_wheel()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\distributions\sdist.py", line 101, in _get_build_requires_wheel
return backend.get_requires_for_build_wheel()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_internal\utils\misc.py", line 745, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return super().get_requires_for_build_wheel(config_settings=cs)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_impl.py", line 166, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return self._call_hook('get_requires_for_build_wheel', {
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_impl.py", line 321, in _call_hook
raise BackendUnavailable(data.get('traceback', ''))
pip._vendor.pyproject_hooks._impl.BackendUnavailable: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "...Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 77, in build_backend
obj = import_module(mod_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "...Python312\Lib\importlib_init.py", line 90, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "", line 1387, in _gcd_import
File "", line 1360, in _find_and_load
File "", line 1310, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "", line 488, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "", line 1387, in _gcd_import
File "", line 1360, in _find_and_load
File "", line 1331, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "", line 935, in _load_unlocked
File "", line 995, in exec_module
File "", line 488, in call_with_frames_removed
File "...overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools_init.py", line 10, in
import distutils.core
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'

Reproduce the latest opencv-python installation on Python 3.12 and start from the build-backend import shown in the traceback, including setuptools/init.py. Inspect the package build configuration for the distutils reference. Done means installation completes without ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'.