[Python] No module named 'distutils' despite setuptools installed

I get:

$ pip install -e .
...
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'


with Python 3.12, despite:

$ conda install setuptools
...
All requested packages already installed.

$ pip install setuptools
Requirement already satisfied: setuptools in c:\users\...\appdata\local\miniconda3\envs\c312\
lib\site-packages (69.0.3)


My pyproject.toml file is:

[build-system]
requires = ["setuptools"]
build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"

[project]
name = "zzz"
authors = [
...
]
description = "zzz"
readme = "README.md"
version = "36"
dependencies = [
"numpy",
"pandas",
]

[project.optional-dependencies]
test = [
"coverage",
]
speed = [
"python-rapidjson",
]

[project.urls]
Homepage = "..."

[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
exclude = ["tests"]

[tool.pylint.'MESSAGES CONTROL']
max-bool-expr = 10


My setup with Miniconda 3:

$ conda create --name c312 python=3.12 pandas matplotlib scipy scikit-learn ...
...

$ conda activate c312

$ which pip
/c/Users/.../AppData/Local/miniconda3/envs/c312/Scripts/pip

$ pip --version
pip 23.3.2 from C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\miniconda3\envs\c312\Lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.12)

$ conda --version
conda 23.11.0

$ which python
/c/Users/.../AppData/Local/miniconda3/envs/c312/python

$ python
Python 3.12.1 | packaged by conda-forge | (main, Dec 23 2023, 07:53:56) [MSC v.1937 64 bit (AMD64)]
on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

>>> import setuptools
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "C:\Users\ssteingold\AppData\Local\miniconda3\envs\c312\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\__init__
.py", line 8, in <module>
import distutils.core
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'

>>> import distutils
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'

>>>

$ conda list '^(python|setuptools)$'

# packages in environment at C:\Users\...\AppData\Local\miniconda3\envs\c312:
#
# Name Version Build Channel
python 3.12.1 h2628c8c_1_cpython conda-forge
setuptools 69.0.3 pyhd8ed1ab_0 conda-forge


What am I doing wrong?

The following questions:

• Why did I get an error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils'?
• ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'distutils' in Python 3.12

basically say "install setuptools", but I already have it (and shouldn't it be auto-installed because I require it in pyproject?)

Unable to import a module that is definitely installed has nothing to do with mine.

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