Cannot build Python C extensions on windows-2022

[lpsinger]

Description

When we try to build Python C extensions on windows-2022, the build fails see GitHub Actions log with the following error message:

error: Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is required. Get it with "Microsoft C++ Build Tools": https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools/
221

This worked on windows-2019. We noticed it because windows-latest just bumped to windows-2022.

Virtual environments affected

• Ubuntu 18.04
• Ubuntu 20.04
• macOS 10.15
• macOS 11
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022

Image version and build link

20220220.1

Is it regression?

No response

Expected behavior

The Python C extension should be built without errors.

Actual behavior

The build fails with the error message noted above.

Repro steps

Build any Python C extension. See https://github.com/astropy/pytest-doctestplus/blob/main/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml

[isuruf]

Looks like tox is not passing through PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMDATA env variables (nor PROGRAMFILES env variable) and because of that distutils falls back to a vs2015 style registry key lookup and this registry key is not set in windows-2022 image.

[mikhailkoliada]

@lpsinger thanks, we will take a look!

[nikolai-frolov]

@lpsinger could you please share the simple project/yml which allows to reproduce the issue in case it's still actual?

[lpsinger]

https://github.com/astropy/pytest-doctestplus/blob/568a30c4d04301a52987c12c6f4585d7bc3a88b6/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml

[nikolai-frolov]

@lpsinger this yml doesn't work for me without additional steps: https://github.com/nikolai-frolov/image-testing/actions/runs/1910180528. Please provide a simple example.

[lpsinger]

See https://github.com/lpsinger/github-actions-windows-2022-python-c-extension. This is as simple as I can make it.

[mayeut]

Given the number of issues linked, not sure if "It is a tox issue" applies in all cases but at least, for the minimal reproducer shared by @lpsinger, it is tox-dev/tox#2382.
Installing tox from main solves the issue: https://github.com/mayeut/github-actions-windows-2022-python-c-extension/runs/5799864485?check_suite_focus=true

[pllim]

Speaking for astropy/pytest-doctestplus (source of the original post), it is undesirable for us to be using dev tox but we'll be happy to try this tox fix out once it is released. Thanks!

[dsame]

Hello @lpsinger,

Can you please try to re-run you build with windows-latests without other changes?

I forked and reverted your repo to the failed commit scientific-python/pytest-doctestplus@feea983

and the build passed https://github.com/akv-platform/pytest-doctestplus/actions/runs/2149804973
also i run the build the repo head and it passed as well https://github.com/akv-platform/pytest-doctestplus/runs/5975846421?check_suite_focus=true

JFI: i suspected there's some issue with the tox could not find build tools due to something related to this setting https://docs.python.org/3/distutils/apiref.html#module-distutils.msvccompiler but i am not able to investigate the problem because it is not reproduced.

[lpsinger]

Working again now. Thanks!