[4.3.x] Failing usage check on CI

[jtpio]

Description

The CI for PRs opened against the 4.3.x branch appears to be failing.

For example with #17512:

https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/actions/runs/14707974552/job/41400102843?pr=17512

× python setup.py develop did not run successfully.
│ exit code: 1
╰─> [43 lines of output]
    running develop
    /tmp/pip-build-env-dzwcango/overlay/lib/python3.12/site-packages/setuptools/_distutils/cmd.py:90: DevelopDeprecationWarning: develop command is deprecated.
    !!
    
            ********************************************************************************
            Please avoid running ``setup.py`` and ``develop``.
            Instead, use standards-based tools like pip or uv.
    
            By 2025-Oct-31, you need to update your project and remove deprecated calls
            or your builds will no longer be supported.
    
            See https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/917 for details.
            ********************************************************************************
    
    !!
      self.initialize_options()
    /opt/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.10/x64/bin/python: No module named pip

[jtpio]

Related to the new setuptools maybe?

[krassowski]

I guess the question is what's different between 4.3 and 4.4 (5) that it passes on the latter.

Also related:

• Remove dependency on setuptools #17034

[jtpio]

main has:

jupyterlab/pyproject.toml

Line 49 in 3cfc2f5

"setuptools>=41.1.0",

4.3.x has:

jupyterlab/pyproject.toml

Line 50 in e2353bc

"setuptools>=40.8.0",

Not sure this makes a difference in this case, but we could still try to align the version on the 4.3.x branch (edit: #17519)

[krassowski]

Ah, so first on main we are testing Linux against 3.13, not 3.12. Indeed, the setuptools versions installed on CI differ:

< Collecting setuptools>=40.8.0 (from jupyterlab==4.3.6)
<   Downloading setuptools-80.0.1-py3-none-any.whl.metadata (6.5 kB)
---
> Collecting setuptools>=41.1.0 (from jupyterlab==4.4.1)
>   Downloading setuptools-80.0.0-py3-none-any.whl.metadata (6.5 kB)

Interestingly, the main branch installs the older version!

Other differences I see are:

< Collecting ruff==0.6.9 (from jupyterlab==4.3.6)
> Collecting ruff==0.11.4 (from jupyterlab==4.4.1)
<   Using cached uv-0.7.0-py3-none-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl.metadata (11 kB)
>   Using cached uv-0.6.17-py3-none-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl.metadata (11 kB)
<   Using cached trove_classifiers-2025.4.28.22-py3-none-any.whl.metadata (2.4 kB)
>   Using cached trove_classifiers-2025.4.11.15-py3-none-any.whl.metadata (2.4 kB)
< Using cached ruff-0.6.9-py3-none-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl (10.9 MB)
> Using cached ruff-0.11.4-py3-none-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl (11.3 MB)

[jtpio]

Maybe we could also test 3.13 on 4.3.x.

[krassowski]

I think the crux is that we just need to move away from using setup.py develop as it will be removed soon.

DEPRECATION: Legacy editable install of test_hyphens==3.0.2 from file:///home/runner/work/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/tests/mock_packages/test-hyphens (setup.py develop) is deprecated. pip 25.3 will enforce this behaviour change. A possible replacement is to add a pyproject.toml or enable --use-pep517, and use setuptools >= 64. If the resulting installation is not behaving as expected, try using --config-settings editable_mode=compat. Please consult the setuptools documentation for more information. Discussion can be found at pypa/pip#11457

Maybe we just need to backport:

• Updated mock packages to use hatch-jupyter-builder #17219?
• let's see if Backport PR #17219 on branch 4.3.x (Updated mock packages to use hatch-jupyter-builder) #17520 helps

Maybe we should later also remove

jupyterlab/jupyterlab/tests/mock_packages/test-hyphens/setup.py

Lines 1 to 5 in 3cfc2f5

	# Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
	# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
	# setup.py shim for use with applications that require it.
	__import__("setuptools").setup()

But it does not cause issues on main

[jtpio]

I think the crux is that we just need to move away from using setup.py develop as it will be removed soon.

For sure. I was just hoping there was some easy fix to apply to 4.3.x since it passes on main. But yeah depending on how time consuming the CI debugging will be, maybe we could just fix the usage directly.

[krassowski]

It looks like #17520 fixes it

[jtpio]

Nice, thanks! 🙏