Revert a large part of the wheel removal, to support Python 3.8

docs/changelog/2868.feature.rst

@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-No longer bundle ``wheel`` wheels, ``setuptools`` includes native ``bdist_wheel`` support.
-Update ``pip`` to ``25.1``.
+No longer bundle ``wheel`` wheels (except on Python 3.8), ``setuptools`` includes native ``bdist_wheel`` support.  Update ``pip`` to ``25.1``.

docs/user_guide.rst

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ The tool works in two phases:
   four further sub-steps:
 
   - create a python that matches the target python interpreter from phase 1,
-  - install (bootstrap) seed packages (one or more of :pypi:`pip`, :pypi:`setuptools`) in the created
+  - install (bootstrap) seed packages (one or more of :pypi:`pip`, :pypi:`setuptools`, :pypi:`wheel`) in the created
     virtual environment,
   - install activation scripts into the binary directory of the virtual environment (these will allow end users to
     *activate* the virtual environment from various shells).
@@ -138,10 +138,9 @@ at the moment has two types of virtual environments:
 
 Seeders
 -------
-These will install for you some seed packages (one or more of: :pypi:`pip`, :pypi:`setuptools`) that
+These will install for you some seed packages (one or more of: :pypi:`pip`, :pypi:`setuptools`, :pypi:`wheel`) that
 enables you to install additional python packages into the created virtual environment (by invoking pip). Installing
-:pypi:`setuptools` is disabled by default on Python 3.12+ environments. There are two
-main seed mechanisms available:
+:pypi:`setuptools` is disabled by default on Python 3.12+ environments. :pypi:`wheel` is only installed on Python 3.8, by default. There are two main seed mechanisms available:
 
 - ``pip`` - this method uses the bundled pip with virtualenv to install the seed packages (note, a new child process
   needs to be created to do this, which can be expensive especially on Windows).
@@ -163,8 +162,8 @@ Wheels
 To install a seed package via either ``pip`` or ``app-data`` method virtualenv needs to acquire a wheel of the target
 package. These wheels may be acquired from multiple locations as follows:
 
-- ``virtualenv`` ships out of box with a set of embed ``wheels`` for both seed packages (:pypi:`pip`,
-  :pypi:`setuptools`). These are packaged together with the virtualenv source files, and only change upon
+- ``virtualenv`` ships out of box with a set of embed ``wheels`` for all three seed packages (:pypi:`pip`,
+  :pypi:`setuptools`, :pypi:`wheel`). These are packaged together with the virtualenv source files, and only change upon
   upgrading virtualenv. Different Python versions require different versions of these, and because virtualenv supports a
   wide range of Python versions, the number of embedded wheels out of box is greater than 3. Whenever newer versions of
   these embedded packages are released upstream ``virtualenv`` project upgrades them, and does a new release. Therefore,

src/virtualenv/seed/embed/base_embed.py

@@ -20,21 +20,24 @@ def __init__(self, options) -> None:
 
         self.pip_version = options.pip
         self.setuptools_version = options.setuptools
-
-        self.no_pip = options.no_pip
-        self.no_setuptools = options.no_setuptools
-        self.app_data = options.app_data
-        self.periodic_update = not options.no_periodic_update
-
-        if options.no_wheel:
+        if hasattr(options, "wheel"):
+            # Python 3.8
+            self.wheel_version = options.wheel
+            self.no_wheel = options.no_wheel
+        elif options.no_wheel:
             warn(
                 "The --no-wheel option is deprecated. "
-                "It has no effect, wheel is no longer bundled in virtualenv. "
-                "This option will be removed in pip 26.",
+                "It has no effect for Python >= 3.8 as wheel is no longer "
+                "bundled in virtualenv.",
                 DeprecationWarning,
                 stacklevel=1,
             )
 
+        self.no_pip = options.no_pip
+        self.no_setuptools = options.no_setuptools
+        self.app_data = options.app_data
+        self.periodic_update = not options.no_periodic_update
+
         if not self.distribution_to_versions():
             self.enabled = False
 
@@ -43,13 +46,14 @@ def distributions(cls) -> dict[str, Version]:
         return {
             "pip": Version.bundle,
             "setuptools": Version.bundle,
+            "wheel": Version.bundle,
         }
 
     def distribution_to_versions(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         return {
             distribution: getattr(self, f"{distribution}_version")
             for distribution in self.distributions()
-            if getattr(self, f"no_{distribution}") is False and getattr(self, f"{distribution}_version") != "none"
+            if getattr(self, f"no_{distribution}", None) is False and getattr(self, f"{distribution}_version") != "none"
         }
 
     @classmethod
@@ -81,6 +85,8 @@ def add_parser_arguments(cls, parser, interpreter, app_data):  # noqa: ARG003
         for distribution, default in cls.distributions().items():
             if interpreter.version_info[:2] >= (3, 12) and distribution == "setuptools":
                 default = "none"  # noqa: PLW2901
+            if interpreter.version_info[:2] >= (3, 9) and distribution == "wheel":
+                continue
             parser.add_argument(
                 f"--{distribution}",
                 dest=distribution,
@@ -89,20 +95,16 @@ def add_parser_arguments(cls, parser, interpreter, app_data):  # noqa: ARG003
                 default=default,
             )
         for distribution in cls.distributions():
+            help_ = f"do not install {distribution}"
+            if interpreter.version_info[:2] >= (3, 9) and distribution == "wheel":
+                help_ = SUPPRESS
             parser.add_argument(
                 f"--no-{distribution}",
                 dest=f"no_{distribution}",
                 action="store_true",
-                help=f"do not install {distribution}",
+                help=help_,
                 default=False,
             )
-        # DEPRECATED: Remove in pip 26
-        parser.add_argument(
-            "--no-wheel",
-            dest="no_wheel",
-            action="store_true",
-            help=SUPPRESS,
-        )
         parser.add_argument(
             "--no-periodic-update",
             dest="no_periodic_update",
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
             result += f"extra_search_dir={', '.join(str(i) for i in self.extra_search_dir)},"
         result += f"download={self.download},"
         for distribution in self.distributions():
-            if getattr(self, f"no_{distribution}"):
+            if getattr(self, f"no_{distribution}", None):
                 continue
             version = getattr(self, f"{distribution}_version", None)
             if version == "none":

src/virtualenv/seed/wheels/embed/__init__.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     "3.8": {
         "pip": "pip-25.0.1-py3-none-any.whl",
         "setuptools": "setuptools-75.3.2-py3-none-any.whl",
+        "wheel": "wheel-0.45.1-py3-none-any.whl",
     },
     "3.9": {
         "pip": "pip-25.1-py3-none-any.whl",

tests/unit/create/test_creator.py

@@ -398,10 +398,6 @@ def test_create_long_path(tmp_path):
     subprocess.check_call([str(result.creator.script("pip")), "--version"])
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.version_info[:2] == (3, 8),
-    reason="Disable on Python 3.8, which still uses pip 25.0.1 (without https://github.com/pypa/pip/pull/13330)",
-)
 @pytest.mark.slow
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("creator", sorted(set(PythonInfo.current_system().creators().key_to_class) - {"builtin"}))
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("session_app_data")
@@ -472,7 +468,7 @@ def list_files(path):
 def test_zip_importer_can_import_setuptools(tmp_path):
     """We're patching the loaders so might fail on r/o loaders, such as zipimporter on CPython<3.8"""
     result = cli_run(
-        [str(tmp_path / "venv"), "--activators", "", "--no-pip", "--copies", "--setuptools", "bundle"],
+        [str(tmp_path / "venv"), "--activators", "", "--no-pip", "--no-wheel", "--copies", "--setuptools", "bundle"],
     )
     zip_path = tmp_path / "site-packages.zip"
     with zipfile.ZipFile(str(zip_path), "w", zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zip_handler:

tests/unit/seed/embed/test_base_embed.py

@@ -21,21 +21,25 @@ def test_download_cli_flag(args, download, tmp_path):
     assert session.seeder.download is download
 
 
-# DEPRECATED: Remove in pip 26
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info[:2] == (3, 8), reason="We still bundle wheels for Python 3.8")
 def test_download_deprecated_cli_flag(tmp_path):
     with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
         warnings.simplefilter("always")
         session_via_cli(["--no-wheel", str(tmp_path)])
     assert len(w) == 1
     assert issubclass(w[-1].category, DeprecationWarning)
     assert str(w[-1].message) == (
-        "The --no-wheel option is deprecated. "
-        "It has no effect, wheel is no longer bundled in virtualenv. "
-        "This option will be removed in pip 26."
+        "The --no-wheel option is deprecated. It has no effect for Python >= "
+        "3.8 as wheel is no longer bundled in virtualenv."
     )
 
 
 def test_embed_wheel_versions(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     session = session_via_cli([str(tmp_path)])
-    expected = {"pip": "bundle"} if sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 12) else {"pip": "bundle", "setuptools": "bundle"}
+    if sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 12):
+        expected = {"pip": "bundle"}
+    elif sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 9):
+        expected = {"pip": "bundle", "setuptools": "bundle"}
+    else:
+        expected = {"pip": "bundle", "setuptools": "bundle", "wheel": "bundle"}
     assert session.seeder.distribution_to_versions() == expected

tests/unit/seed/embed/test_bootstrap_link_via_app_data.py

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 @pytest.mark.slow
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("copies", [False, True] if fs_supports_symlink() else [True])
-def test_seed_link_via_app_data(tmp_path, coverage_env, current_fastest, copies):
+def test_seed_link_via_app_data(tmp_path, coverage_env, current_fastest, copies, for_py_version):  # noqa: PLR0915
     current = PythonInfo.current_system()
     bundle_ver = BUNDLE_SUPPORT[current.version_release_str]
     create_cmd = [
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ def test_seed_link_via_app_data(tmp_path, coverage_env, current_fastest, copies)
         current_fastest,
         "-vv",
     ]
+    if for_py_version == "3.8":
+        create_cmd += ["--wheel", bundle_ver["wheel"].split("-")[1]]
     if not copies:
         create_cmd.append("--symlink-app-data")
     result = cli_run(create_cmd)
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ def test_seed_link_via_app_data(tmp_path, coverage_env, current_fastest, copies)
     # Windows does not allow removing a executable while running it, so when uninstalling pip we need to do it via
     # python -m pip
     remove_cmd = [str(result.creator.exe), "-m", "pip", *remove_cmd[1:]]
-    process = Popen([*remove_cmd, "pip"])
+    process = Popen([*remove_cmd, "pip", "wheel"])
     _, __ = process.communicate()
     assert not process.returncode
     # pip is greedy here, removing all packages removes the site-package too
@@ -208,13 +210,20 @@ def test_populated_read_only_cache_and_copied_app_data(tmp_path, current_fastest
 
 
 @pytest.mark.slow
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("pkg", ["pip", "setuptools"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("pkg", ["pip", "setuptools", "wheel"])
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("session_app_data", "current_fastest", "coverage_env")
-def test_base_bootstrap_link_via_app_data_no(tmp_path, pkg):
+def test_base_bootstrap_link_via_app_data_no(tmp_path, pkg, for_py_version):
+    if for_py_version != "3.8" and pkg == "wheel":
+        msg = "wheel isn't installed on Python > 3.8"
+        raise pytest.skip(msg)
     create_cmd = [str(tmp_path), "--seeder", "app-data", f"--no-{pkg}", "--setuptools", "bundle"]
+    if for_py_version == "3.8":
+        create_cmd += ["--wheel", "bundle"]
     result = cli_run(create_cmd)
     assert not (result.creator.purelib / pkg).exists()
-    for key in {"pip", "setuptools"} - {pkg}:
+    for key in {"pip", "setuptools", "wheel"} - {pkg}:
+        if for_py_version != "3.8" and key == "wheel":
+            continue
         assert (result.creator.purelib / key).exists()
 
 
@@ -239,7 +248,10 @@ def _run_parallel_threads(tmp_path):
 
     def _run(name):
         try:
-            cli_run(["--seeder", "app-data", str(tmp_path / name), "--no-setuptools"])
+            cmd = ["--seeder", "app-data", str(tmp_path / name), "--no-setuptools"]
+            if sys.version_info[:2] == (3, 8):
+                cmd.append("--no-wheel")
+            cli_run(cmd)
         except Exception as exception:  # noqa: BLE001
             as_str = str(exception)
             exceptions.append(as_str)

tests/unit/seed/embed/test_pip_invoke.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 
 @pytest.mark.slow
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("no", ["pip", "setuptools", ""])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("no", ["pip", "setuptools", "wheel", ""])
 def test_base_bootstrap_via_pip_invoke(tmp_path, coverage_env, mocker, current_fastest, no):  # noqa: C901
     extra_search_dir = tmp_path / "extra"
     extra_search_dir.mkdir()
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ def _execute(cmd, env):
     original = PipInvoke._execute  # noqa: SLF001
     run = mocker.patch.object(PipInvoke, "_execute", side_effect=_execute)
     versions = {"pip": "embed", "setuptools": "bundle"}
+    if sys.version_info[:2] == (3, 8):
+        versions["wheel"] = new["wheel"].split("-")[1]
 
     create_cmd = [
         "--seeder",
@@ -76,13 +78,16 @@ def _execute(cmd, env):
     site_package = result.creator.purelib
     pip = site_package / "pip"
     setuptools = site_package / "setuptools"
+    wheel = site_package / "wheel"
     files_post_first_create = list(site_package.iterdir())
 
     if no:
         no_file = locals()[no]
         assert no not in files_post_first_create
 
-    for key in ("pip", "setuptools"):
+    for key in ("pip", "setuptools", "wheel"):
         if key == no:
             continue
+        if sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 9) and key == "wheel":
+            continue
         assert locals()[key] in files_post_first_create

tests/unit/seed/wheels/test_periodic_update.py

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def _do_update(  # noqa: PLR0913
         packages[args[1]["distribution"]].append(args[1]["for_py_version"])
     packages = {key: sorted(value) for key, value in packages.items()}
     versions = sorted(BUNDLE_SUPPORT.keys())
-    expected = {"setuptools": versions, "pip": versions}
+    expected = {"setuptools": versions, "wheel": ["3.8"], "pip": versions}
     assert packages == expected
 
 
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ def test_pick_periodic_update(tmp_path, mocker, for_py_version):
             "--activators",
             "",
             "--no-periodic-update",
+            "--no-wheel",
             "--no-pip",
             "--setuptools",
             "bundle",