Installing k8s-configuration and connectedk8s fails: distutils.errors.DistutilsPlatformError: Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is required.

[ponatara]

az feedback auto-generates most of the information requested below, as of CLI version 2.0.62

Describe the bug
When installing k8s-configuration and connectedk8s extensions using latest version of az cli, we are seeing the following issue.
Using an earlier version of the az cli works.

To Reproduce

Expected behavior
CLI-extension addition should succeed

Environment summary
az cli version: 2.35.0
Observed in certain Windows envs
Observed on 2 different setups as of now

Additional context

Excerpts from --debug logs:

``
Given no hashes to check 1 links for project 'pycryptodome': discarding no candidates
Collecting pycryptodome==3.9.8
Created temporary directory: C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-unpack-nxnyjrrh
https://files.pythonhosted.org:443 "GET /packages/4c/2b/eddbfc56076fae8deccca274a5c70a9eb1e0b334da0a33f894a420d0fe93/pycryptodome-3.9.8.tar.gz HTTP/1.1" 200 15633268
Downloading pycryptodome-3.9.8.tar.gz (15.6 MB)
-------------------------------------- 15.6/15.6 MB 759.2 kB/s eta 0:00:00
Added pycryptodome==3.9.8 from https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/4c/2b/eddbfc56076fae8deccca274a5c70a9eb1e0b334da0a33f894a420d0fe93/pycryptodome-3.9.8.tar.gz#sha256=0e24171cf01021bc5dc17d6a9d4f33a048f09d62cc3f62541e95ef104588bda4 (from connectedk8s==1.2.7) to build tracker 'C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-req-tracker-6brsqoeq'
Running setup.py (path:C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fljwg0g7\pycryptodome_00b584ba641944f0a9efb77b7443eb3a\setup.py) egg_info for package pycryptodome
Created temporary directory: C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-pip-egg-info-p85c4npj
Preparing metadata (setup.py): started
Running command python setup.py egg_info
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "", line 2, in
File "", line 34, in
File "C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fljwg0g7\pycryptodome_00b584ba641944f0a9efb77b7443eb3a\setup.py", line 457, in
set_compiler_options(package_root, ext_modules)
File "C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fljwg0g7\pycryptodome_00b584ba641944f0a9efb77b7443eb3a\compiler_opt.py", line 341, in set_compiler_options
clang = compiler_is_clang()
File "C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fljwg0g7\pycryptodome_00b584ba641944f0a9efb77b7443eb3a\compiler_opt.py", line 251, in compiler_is_clang
return test_compilation(source, msg="clang")
File "C:\Users\v-vgujjula\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fljwg0g7\pycryptodome_00b584ba641944f0a9efb77b7443eb3a\compiler_opt.py", line 82, in test_compilation
objects = compiler.compile([fname], extra_postargs=extra_cc_options)
File "D:\a\1\s\build_scripts\windows\artifacts\Python\Lib\site-packages\setuptools/_distutils/_msvccompiler.py", line 327, in compile
File "D:\a\1\s\build_scripts\windows\artifacts\Python\Lib\site-packages\setuptools/_distutils/_msvccompiler.py", line 224, in initialize
File "D:\a\1\s\build_scripts\windows\artifacts\Python\Lib\site-packages\setuptools/msvc.py", line 316, in msvc14_get_vc_env
File "D:\a\1\s\build_scripts\windows\artifacts\Python\Lib\site-packages\setuptools/msvc.py", line 270, in _msvc14_get_vc_env
distutils.errors.DistutilsPlatformError: Microsoft Visual C++ 14.0 or greater is required. Get it with "Microsoft C++ Build Tools": https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/visual-cpp-build-tools/
Testing support for clang
error: subprocess-exited-with-error

python setup.py egg_info did not run successfully.
exit code: 1

[DCMattyG]

We are also seeing this error, started today.

[dkirby-ms]

Same, also seeing this error

[ghost]

Thank you for your feedback. This has been routed to the support team for assistance.

[yonzhan]

route to CXP team

[jiasli]

Similar to Azure/azure-cli-extensions#4608, Azure/azure-cli-extensions#4610

MSI's bundled Python has been updated to 3.10 (#21746). k8s-configuration and connectedk8s depend on pycryptodome==3.9.8 which doesn't release wheels for Python 3.10:

https://pypi.org/project/pycryptodome/3.9.8/#files

The latest pycryptodome 3.14.1 works with Python 3.10 using ABIs:

https://pypi.org/project/pycryptodome/#files

Workaround

While we will bump the pycryptodome dependency in k8s-configuration and connectedk8s, you may install Visual Studio so that pycryptodome can compile on Windows: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/

[jiasli]

connectedk8s has been fixed by Azure/azure-cli-extensions#4607 and released by Azure/azure-cli-extensions#4647.

[navba-MSFT]

@ponatara Could you please check the above comment and let us know if you have any further questions on this ? Awaiting your reply.