Python 3.12 build error "No module named 'distutils'" - Rev2

[MikeMcC399]

• Revival of Python 3.12 build error "No module named 'distutils'" #28695

Current behavior

• There has been a regression in the develop branch and Python 3.11 is required once again to build Cypress from source without error on Ubuntu. This means also that Ubuntu 24.10 and above interim versions cannot be used because they don't have access to Python 3.11. Ubuntu 24.10 and other interim versions only support the default Python 3.12 version.

The yarn install log contains the error message:

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'

• dependency: update @electron/rebuild to 3.7.1 #30633 bumped @electron/rebuild to 3.7.1.
  This met the requirement of minimum @electron/rebuild@3.7.0 to allow Python 3.12 usage.

• Subsequently, dependency: electron 33 upgrade #30716 bumped Electron to 33. This bumped "electron-builder": "^23.6.0" to "electron-builder": "^25.1.8" (released Oct 6, 2024) and introduced @electron/rebuild@3.6.1 which is not compatible with Python 3.12

  └─┬ electron-builder@25.1.8
    └─┬ app-builder-lib@25.1.8
      └─┬ @electron/rebuild@3.6.1
        └── node-gyp@9.4.1
  

Desired behavior

• Revert docs: remove node-gyp contributor workarounds / restrictions #30671 to put back the Python 3.11 workarounds and instructions OR

• Update to minimum electron-builder@^26. This is in "pre-release" status as electron-builder@26.0.0 since Jan 26, 2025, so possibly too early for adoption at this time. electron-builder@26.0.0 depends on @electron/rebuild@3.7.0 which meets the Python 3.12 compatibility requirement.

Test code to reproduce

git clone https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress
cd cypress
npm install yarn@latest -g
yarn

Cypress Version

First reported on Cypress version: 14.0.0
Reproducible also on Cypress version: 14.0.3

Node version

v20.18.1 LTS

Operating System

Ubuntu 24.10
Ubuntu 25.04

Debug Logs

Failure logs are basically the same as for #28695

node-gyp@9 has come back:

$ yarn why node-gyp
yarn why v1.22.22
[1/4] Why do we have the module "node-gyp"...?
[2/4] Initialising dependency graph...
warning Resolution field "pretty-format@26.4.0" is incompatible with requested version "pretty-format@^29.7.0"
warning Resolution field "@wdio/logger@9.0.0" is incompatible with requested version "@wdio/logger@^8.38.0"
warning Resolution field "devtools-protocol@0.0.1346313" is incompatible with requested version "devtools-protocol@0.0.927104"
warning Resolution field "@types/react@18.3.12" is incompatible with requested version "@types/react@^16"
warning Resolution field "devtools-protocol@0.0.1346313" is incompatible with requested version "devtools-protocol@0.0.1159816"
warning Resolution field "pretty-format@26.4.0" is incompatible with requested version "pretty-format@^27.0.2"
warning Resolution field "vue-template-compiler@2.6.12" is incompatible with requested version "vue-template-compiler@^2.7.14"
[3/4] Finding dependency...
[4/4] Calculating file sizes...
=> Found "node-gyp@10.2.0"
info Has been hoisted to "node-gyp"
info Reasons this module exists
   - "workspace-aggregator-1c2bd76a-9823-44e1-a258-533b690a1802" depends on it
   - Hoisted from "_project_#@npmcli#run-script#node-gyp"
   - Hoisted from "_project_#@npmcli#arborist#@npmcli#run-script#node-gyp"
   - Hoisted from "_project_#semantic-release#@semantic-release#npm#npm#node-gyp"
   - Hoisted from "_project_#@npmcli#arborist#@npmcli#metavuln-calculator#pacote#@npmcli#run-script#node-gyp"
info Disk size without dependencies: "4.1MB"
info Disk size with unique dependencies: "5.2MB"
info Disk size with transitive dependencies: "10.47MB"
info Number of shared dependencies: 59
=> Found "app-builder-lib#node-gyp@9.4.1"
info Reasons this module exists
   - "_project_#electron-builder#app-builder-lib#@electron#rebuild" depends on it
   - Hoisted from "_project_#electron-builder#app-builder-lib#@electron#rebuild#node-gyp"
info Disk size without dependencies: "2.06MB"
info Disk size with unique dependencies: "4.95MB"
info Disk size with transitive dependencies: "11.14MB"
info Number of shared dependencies: 83

[MikeMcC399]

This is probably not an urgent issue judging by the fact that it hasn't been otherwise reported and the problem would have been apparent from early Dec 2024.

[MikeMcC399]

Whilst this issue is unresolved, the Python 3.11 instructions for Ubuntu 24.04 can be viewed under

https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/blob/8dc09ea5165bb80babf32fc4af990fe9d993df24/CONTRIBUTING.md#requirements

[MikeMcC399]

I did a smoke test build, updating to electron-builder@26.0.0. If there is a need for a PR, I can submit one, otherwise I will hold back.

[MikeMcC399]

electron-builder@26.0.1 has been released - this is also tagged with pre-release. I will continue to monitor until they tag a 26.x version with release (instead of pre-release) and they mark it as latest (rather than next)

Edit:

• electron-builder@26.0.10 is also still tagged pre-release with alias next

[MikeMcC399]

Added Ubuntu 25.04 to the original post. Like Ubuntu 24.10, the 25.04 release is also an interim (non-LTS) release of Ubuntu.

[MikeMcC399]

electron-builder@26.0.12 has been released and is tagged with latest (and next)

$ npm view electron-builder dist-tags
{ latest: '26.0.12', next: '26.0.12' }

[MikeMcC399]

• Request to bump @electron/rebuild to 3.7.1 electron-userland/electron-builder#9012 for parity with Cypress

  cypress/packages/server/package.json

  Line 148 in bd67278

  "@electron/rebuild": "3.7.1",

  otherwise I'm seeing the following when attempting to update to electron-builder@26.x

lerna notice cli v8.1.9
lerna ERR!     The "nx/js/dependencies-and-lockfile" plugin threw an error while creating dependencies: Source project does not exist: npm:@electron/node-gyp@git+https://github.com/electron/node-gyp.git#06b29aafb7708acef8b3669835c8a7857ebc92d2
lerna ERR!     Error: Source project does not exist: npm:@electron/node-gyp@git+https://github.com/electron/node-gyp.git#06b29aafb7708acef8b3669835c8a7857ebc92d2

Possibly any updates could be combined with updating Electron or Cypress 15 to ensure the right level of testing takes place.

I'll continue to update this issue if there is any feedback from electron-builder

[MikeMcC399]

The next release of https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder will include an update to @electron/rebuild@3.7.1, so the only action at this time is to monitor for the release.

[MikeMcC399]

Getting closer! We need a release of electron-builder that has a latest label and includes @electron/rebuild >= 3.7.1.

For https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/releases

Release	Release date	Status	@electron/rebuild
v26.0.13	Apr 12, 2025	Pre-release	3.7.2
v26.0.12	Mar 22, 2025	latest	3.7.0

$ npm view electron-builder dist-tags
{ latest: '26.0.12', next: '26.0.13' }

[MikeMcC399]

We need a release of electron-builder that has a latest label and includes @electron/rebuild >= 3.7.1.

Mentioned in electron-userland/electron-builder#9012 (comment)

Release	Release date	status	@electron/rebuild
v26.0.12	Mar 22, 2025	latest	3.7.0
v26.0.17	Jun 15, 2025	Pre-release	3.7.2

$ npm view electron-builder dist-tags
{ latest: '26.0.12', next: '26.0.17' }

[MikeMcC399]

• Request to release electron-builder@latest with @electron/rebuild@3.7.2 electron-userland/electron-builder#9168 related enquiry

[MikeMcC399]

• dependency: electron@36.4.0 (WIP) #31912 may resolve this issue by virtue of bumping @electron/rebuild in packages/server/package.json devDependencies from:

  • @electron/rebuild@3.7.1 to
  • @electron/rebuild@4.0.1

  This is due to the node-gyp changes.

• So, defer attempting to separately resolve the issue and monitor the progress of the release/15.0.0 instead