# error: can't copy 'PKG-INFO': doesn't exist or not a regular file

- **ID:** `python/pip-setup-py-egg-info-failed`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** install_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

The source distribution is missing the PKG-INFO file, often due to incomplete sdist creation or a corrupted download. setuptools expects this file during installation.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 3.7 | active | — | — |
| 3.8 | active | — | — |
| 3.9 | active | — | — |
| 3.10 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **** (80% success)
   ```
   Download the package from PyPI manually and inspect the tarball; if corrupted, re-download. Alternatively, install from a wheel if available: pip install package.whl.
   ```
2. **** (85% success)
   ```
   Install directly from the source repository: pip install git+https://github.com/user/repo.git.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — If PKG-INFO is missing from the sdist, egg_info cannot generate it without the proper source files. (85% fail)
- **** — The issue is with the package source, not setuptools itself. (90% fail)