python module_error ai_generated true

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools._distutils.command.build_ext'

ID: python/setup-py-install-requires-not-found

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
80%Fix Rate
86%Confidence
0Evidence
2024-11-12First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
3.9 active — — —
3.10 active — — —
3.11 active — — —
3.12 active — — —

Root Cause

A partially-installed or downgraded setuptools leaves the vendored _distutils submodule missing, often after a failed upgrade or a conflicting distutils import.

generic

中文

部分安装或降级后的 setuptools 缺少内置的 _distutils 子模块，通常发生在升级失败或 distutils 导入冲突之后。

Workarounds

  1. 95% success 
    pip uninstall -y setuptools
pip install --no-cache-dir 'setuptools>=68'
python -c "from setuptools._distutils.command.build_ext import build_ext; print('ok')"
  2. 90% success 
    python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install .

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. 95% fail

    No such package on PyPI; pip returns 'No matching distribution found'.

  2. 70% fail

    --no-deps can leave an inconsistent setuptools install if any dependency was previously removed.