get rid of distutils

[ThomasWaldmann]

some python 3.10 alpha version we use for testing now breaks all our testing (not only on 3.10, but also cancelling the other test runs) because of the distutils deprecation.

we use distutils:

• in setup.py to subclass and extend the clean command (to remove generated files by cython)
• for LooseVersion at 2 other places

The setuptools migration docs are rather unhelpful for this, subclassing is undocumented, could not find clean in setuptools and I also could not find a direct replacement for LooseVersion. Importing from setuptools._distutils runs into the same issues.

For borg 1.1.x there is also the requirement that we avoid adding new dependencies (while we still want to support python 3.10 for future 1.1.x releases), so using the packaging pypi package for some Version class is no solution.

[ThomasWaldmann]

@RonnyPfannschmidt can you help, please?

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

@ThomasWaldmann the version from pkg_resources as first idea as it's intensely commonly part of the ecosystem as a starting point, for more, please hit me up tommorow, I'm a bit preoccupied with something and it will slip me

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

@jaraco perhaps has a better idea tho

[ThomasWaldmann]

Hmm, rather use pkg_resources.parse_version() or packaging.version.parse?

Note:

• 1.1-maint requires python >= 3.5 and no new depedendencies
• master requires python >= 3.6

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

the idea for a starting point is pkg_resources as that one tends to be all time included monster (aka no new deps)
packaging wold be a new dep for sure

[jaraco]

I would try to avoid assumptions that pkg_resources is present. I'm actively working to discourage use of it at all, but definitely discouraging assuming it's present. I make sure not to install setuptools in my local environments and uninstall it if it gets installed. I'd recommend packaging even if it's an additional dependency.

[ThomasWaldmann]

In master, this was fixed by #5786, but if we want 1.1.x on py310, we still need a fix for 1.1-maint branch.

@LocutusOfBorg @bsiegert @bket @m3nu @FelixSchwarz would adding packaging as addtl. python dependency be a problem for your 1.1.x packaging / backports?

[bket]

Concerning OpenBSD:

• No issues foreseen for packaging on current.
• Backporting should be OK as well, unless there is a dependency on a specific version of packaging. get rid of distutils, using packaging #5786 seems to suggest that this is not the case.