Test collection failing since pytest 8.1

[jaraco]

Two months ago, on pytest 8.0.2, tests were passing.

Now, on Python 3.11 and earlier, tests are failing.

On pytest 8.2, test collection fails:

_________________________________________________ ERROR collecting distutils/cygwinccompiler.py __________________________________________________
ImportError while importing test module '/Users/jaraco/code/pypa/distutils/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py'.
Hint: make sure your test modules/packages have valid Python names.
Traceback:
distutils/cygwinccompiler.py:27: in <module>
    from .version import LooseVersion, suppress_known_deprecation
E   ImportError: cannot import name 'suppress_known_deprecation' from 'distutils.version' (/opt/homebrew/Cellar/[email protected]/3.11.9/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/lib/python3.11/distutils/version.py)
____________________________________________ ERROR collecting distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py ____________________________________________
ImportError while importing test module '/Users/jaraco/code/pypa/distutils/distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py'.
Hint: make sure your test modules/packages have valid Python names.
Traceback:
distutils/tests/test_cygwinccompiler.py:6: in <module>
    from distutils.cygwinccompiler import (
E   ImportError: cannot import name 'CONFIG_H_NOTOK' from 'distutils.cygwinccompiler' (/Users/jaraco/code/pypa/distutils/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py)
_____________________________________________ ERROR collecting distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py _____________________________________________
ImportError while importing test module '/Users/jaraco/code/pypa/distutils/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py'.
Hint: make sure your test modules/packages have valid Python names.
Traceback:
distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py:10: in <module>
    from distutils.util import _clear_cached_macosx_ver
E   ImportError: cannot import name '_clear_cached_macosx_ver' from 'distutils.util' (/opt/homebrew/Cellar/[email protected]/3.11.9/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/lib/python3.11/distutils/util.py)

Additionally, a warning is emitted about importing distutils from stdlib:

<frozen importlib.util>:95
  <frozen importlib.util>:95: DeprecationWarning: The distutils package is deprecated and slated for removal in Python 3.12. Use setuptools or check PEP 632 for potential alternatives

../../../../../opt/homebrew/Cellar/[email protected]/3.11.9/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/lib/python3.11/distutils/util.py:92
  /opt/homebrew/Cellar/[email protected]/3.11.9/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/lib/python3.11/distutils/util.py:92: DeprecationWarning: The distutils.sysconfig module is deprecated, use sysconfig instead
    import _osx_support, distutils.sysconfig

-- Docs: https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/capture-warnings.html

Pinning to pytest 8.1, the collection succeeds, but the tests fail when they end up importing distutils from the stdlib. For example:

___________________________________________________________ TestMetadata.test_provides ___________________________________________________________

self = <distutils.tests.test_dist.TestMetadata object at 0x103adb950>

    def test_provides(self):
        attrs = {
            "name": "package",
            "version": "1.0",
            "provides": ["package", "package.sub"],
        }
>       dist = Distribution(attrs)

distutils/tests/test_dist.py:285: 
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
distutils/dist.py:259: in __init__
    getattr(self.metadata, "set_" + key)(val)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

self = <distutils.dist.DistributionMetadata object at 0x103f7ce10>, value = ['package', 'package.sub']

    def set_provides(self, value):
        value = [v.strip() for v in value]
        for v in value:
            import distutils.versionpredicate
    
>           distutils.versionpredicate.split_provision(v)
E           AttributeError: module 'distutils' has no attribute 'versionpredicate'

distutils/dist.py:1266: AttributeError

Pinning to pytest<8.1 allows the tests to pass again.