distutils package was removed in 3.12

[sobolevn]

Source: python/cpython@0faa0ba

[sobolevn]

What should we do with

   /home/runner/work/typeshed/typeshed/stubs/babel/babel/messages/frontend.pyi:3:6 - error: Import "distutils.cmd" could not be resolved (reportMissingImports)
  /home/runner/work/typeshed/typeshed/stubs/babel/babel/messages/frontend.pyi:8:15 - error: Base class type is unknown, obscuring type of derived class (reportUntypedBaseClass)
/home/runner/work/typeshed/typeshed/stubs/cffi/cffi/api.pyi
  /home/runner/work/typeshed/typeshed/stubs/cffi/cffi/api.pyi:1:8 - error: Import "distutils.core" could not be resolved (reportMissingImports)

?

[sobolevn]

I think that METADATA.toml can be updated with versions = metadata field, to indicate that some python versions are not supported (yet or at all).

[AlexWaygood]

Maybe we could import those things from setuptools._distutils, and add a dependency on types-setuptools for those stubs packages?

[sobolevn]

Looks like distutils is still required for cffi: https://foss.heptapod.net/search?search=distutils&nav_source=navbar&project_id=92&group_id=166&search_code=true&repository_ref=branch%2Fdefault

[sobolevn]

babel has all imports refactored: https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Apython-babel%2Fbabel%20distutils&type=code

[github-actions]

Diff from mypy_primer, showing the effect of this PR on open source code:

apprise (https://github.com/caronc/apprise)
- setup.py:74: error: Argument "cmdclass" to "setup" has incompatible type "Dict[str, Type[babel.messages.frontend.Command]]"; expected "Mapping[str, Type[setuptools._distutils.cmd.Command]]"  [arg-type]

[AlexWaygood]

LGTM, though I'd appreciate a third opinion from somebody

[hauntsaninja]

This seems approximately fine to me and unlikely to cause regressions. We can later investigate what exactly these packages do whenever they claim 3.12 support.