pypa / pypa/setuptools

Retire the distutils hack (remove top-level `distutils` injection)

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Python
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Description

Part of the compilers decoupling epic #5264 (Phase 4). setuptools repo. Gated on Phases 1–3 shipping.

With replacements available (compilers.C public API + migration docs), retire the hack:

  • Escalate the SETUPTOOLS_USE_DISTUTILS=stdlib and import-order deprecations from #4137 to removal (see also #3625 and #3622)
  • Remove _distutils_hack.DistutilsMetaFinder and stop injecting the top-level distutils name
  • Triage-close downstream deprecation noise (e.g. #4655 and generic "distutils deprecation warning" reports), pointing at the migration guide

Contributor guide

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reading the Phase 4 context in epic #5264 and the deprecation history in #4137, #3625, and #3622. Inspect _distutils_hack.DistutilsMetaFinder and its top-level distutils injection. Done means removing that mechanism, escalating the listed deprecations to removal, and triage-closing downstream reports such as #4655 with the migration guide.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
build-system, compilers
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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