[Python-modules-team] Bug#953139: python3-jupyter-core: Sid python3-jupyter-core 4.6.3-2 Needs python3-distutils

[Ron Lovell]

Package: python3-jupyter-core
Version: 4.6.3-2
Severity: important

After recent updates to the jupyter packages and for the Python
3.8 tranision in Sid, I decided to give qtconsole a spin just to
see how it's working. It's not able to load:

$ jupyter qtconsole
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/jupyter", line 11, in <module>
    load_entry_point('jupyter-core==4.6.3', 'console_scripts', 'jupyter')()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py", line 489, in load_entry_point

...

  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/jupyter_core/command.py", line 25, in <module>
    from . import paths
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/jupyter_core/paths.py", line 21, in <module>
    from distutils.util import strtobool
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils.util'

I was able to resolve this by installing python3-distutils, which
installs both Python 3.7 and 3.8 versions of distutils.util.

The latest /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/jupyter_core/paths.py
module from Debian package python3-jupyter-core does import from
distutils.util. The python3-jupyter-core 4.4.0-2 installed on my
Buster host does not.

Should python3-jupyter-core now depend on package python3-distutils?

CAVEATS: The Python 3.8 transition is still a work-in-progress
on my Sid host, as I expect it is on other users'. Upgrades of
python3 libpython3-stdlib python3-minimal from 3.7.5-3 -> 3.8.2-1
are blocked because python3-talloc requires python3 (< 3.8), and
python3-talloc is (ultimately) required by gnome-control-center
via GVFS/Samba dependencies.

Also, I DO NOT have python3-all installed, which would bring in
python3-distutils. Should I have python3 installed?

My sincere apologies if I've jumped the gun and this issue would
have worked itself out as the 3.8 transition progresses. But this
could affect other qtconsole users, so I thought I should report it.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: bullseye/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 5.4.0-4-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

Versions of packages python3-jupyter-core depends on:
hi  python3            3.7.5-3
ii  python3-traitlets  4.3.3-2

python3-jupyter-core recommends no packages.

Versions of packages python3-jupyter-core suggests:
pn  python3-pip  <none>

-- no debconf information