bpo-39541: Remove distutils bdist_wininst command

[vstinner]

Remove distutils bdist_wininst command, it was deprecated in Python
3.8: use bdist_wheel command instead.

https://bugs.python.org/issue39541

[vstinner]

Oh, this change breaks setuptools:

(...)
File "/home/runner/work/cpython/cpython/Doc/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/command/install_scripts.py", line 35, in run
  bw_cmd = self.get_finalized_command("bdist_wininst")
(...)
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils.command.bdist_wininst'

[vstinner]

Oh, this change breaks setuptools: (...)

I reported the issue to setuptools: pypa/setuptools#1985

[zooba]

@vstinner The easiest way is probably to replace it with the contents of https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/master/PC/layout/support/distutils.command.bdist_wininst.py (which is currently what I drop in for the distros that don't include this). It keeps setuptools happy right up to the point where you try and use the command, and then it fails nicely. We can also point to the discussions or at least the bugs about why we removed it.

[vstinner]

@vstinner The easiest way is probably to replace it with the contents of https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/master/PC/layout/support/distutils.command.bdist_wininst.py (which is currently what I drop in for the distros that don't include this). It keeps setuptools happy right up to the point where you try and use the command, and then it fails nicely. We can also point to the discussions or at least the bugs about why we removed it.

Done. I tested manually that "make venv PYTHON=../python" works in the Doc/ directory. It fails without the Lib/distutils/command/bdist_wininst.py stub.

[vstinner]

@zooba: Should we keep PC/layout/support/distutils.command.bdist_wininst.py and Tools/msi/distutils.command.bdist_wininst.py? I don't know how these files are used.

[vstinner]

@pganssle: my setuptools fix has been merged into setuptools. Does it change something to do you decision on this PR? Should it go into Python 3.9 or not?

[vstinner]

There is no clear consensus towards removing distutils bdist_wininst command. I close this PR for now, it's too late for Python 3.9 (feature freeze is coming soon). We can reconsider removing it once setuptools will be more ready for this removal.