[BUG] 71.0.0 fails PyInstaller builds

[amotl]

setuptools version

setuptools==71.0.0

Python version

Python 3.12

OS

Linux, macOS, Windows

Additional environment information

No response

Description

CI jobs started tripping when using setuptools 71, released two hours ago.

• Setup: Fix package installation woes with setuptools/backports.tarfile, and PyInstaller crate/cratedb-toolkit#201

Expected behavior

CI builds work as expected.

How to Reproduce

No reproducer yet, but a stacktrace on GHA.

Output

PyInstaller.exceptions.ImportErrorWhenRunningHook: 
Failed to import module __PyInstaller_hooks_0_importlib_metadata required by hook for module 
/opt/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.4/x64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/PyInstaller/hooks/hook-importlib_metadata.py.

Please check whether module __PyInstaller_hooks_0_importlib_metadata actually exists and whether
the hook is compatible with your version of 
/opt/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.4/x64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/PyInstaller/hooks/hook-importlib_metadata.py:
You might want to read more about hooks in the manual and provide a pull-request to improve PyInstaller.

-- https://github.com/crate/cratedb-toolkit/actions/runs/9983011865/job/27589798960?pr=201#step:5:198

[jaraco]

It's quite possible that a pyinstaller build might need to be re-customized for Setuptools 71 with its new vendoring approach.

I'm not sure how to interpret that output. For example, where does __PyInstaller_hooks_0_importlib_metadata come from? I wouldn't know the first step in trying to replicate the issue. One possible workaround may be to "install" Setuptools' dependencies as declared here.

[bashonly]

One possible workaround may be to "install" Setuptools' dependencies as declared here.

Installing setuptools[core] does indeed workaround the issue, at least in my workflow

[jaraco]

One possible workaround may be to "install" Setuptools' dependencies as declared here.

Installing setuptools[core] does indeed workaround the issue, at least in my workflow

That's great news!

FYI - reliance on setuptools[core] directly is not supported. I expect that extra to be moved to default dependencies in the future. Just be aware that core is an internal detail that might change.

[bashonly]

71.0.2 resolves this for me. Seems like the root cause of the issue is what's described in #4480 (comment) and #4482 (which was opened by a pyinstaller maintainer)

[jaraco]

FYI - reliance on setuptools[core] directly is not supported. I expect that extra to be moved to default dependencies in the future. Just be aware that core is an internal detail that might change.

Correction - setuptools[core] is fine for incidental use. It's just not to be used by package maintainers in the build-requires.