# RuntimeError: Setuptools version 58.0.0 is too old to use the pyproject.toml build system. Minimum required is 60.0.0.

- **ID:** `python/setuptools-version-mismatch`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** install_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

The installed setuptools version does not support the build system defined in pyproject.toml.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 3.8 | active | — | — |
| 3.9 | active | — | — |
| 3.10 | active | — | — |
| 3.11 | active | — | — |
| 3.12 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **Upgrade setuptools to a compatible version** (95% success)
   ```
   pip install --upgrade setuptools>=60.0.0
   ```
2. **Use a virtual environment with a newer Python version** (90% success)
   ```
   python3.11 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate && pip install setuptools
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **Downgrading pip** — The issue is with setuptools, not pip; downgrading pip does not help. (90% fail)
- **Removing pyproject.toml** — setuptools may fall back to setup.py, but modern packages rely on pyproject.toml. (70% fail)