# error: README.md not found

- **ID:** `python/setuptools-readme-file-not-found`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** data_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

The long_description in setup.py references a file that doesn't exist in the project directory.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 3.6 | active | — | — |
| 3.7 | active | — | — |
| 3.8 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **** (90% success)
   ```
   touch README.md
   ```
2. **** (95% success)
   ```
   from pathlib import Path; this_directory = Path(__file__).parent; long_description = (this_directory / 'README.md').read_text()
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — May work but hides missing documentation. (20% fail)
- **** — May lose PyPI description; not always necessary. (40% fail)