Description: since 3.12 distutils is no longer part of the default python distribution
Index: meep/configure.ac
===================================================================
--- meep.orig/configure.ac	2024-07-11 16:05:45.202598218 +0200
+++ meep/configure.ac	2024-07-12 12:33:23.922145544 +0200
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@
     if test $have_python = yes; then
 
       AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python include directory])
-      pinc=`echo "import distutils.sysconfig; print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc())" | $PYTHON - 2>/dev/null`
+      pinc=`echo "import setuptools._distutils.sysconfig; print (setuptools._distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc())" | $PYTHON - 2>/dev/null`
       AC_MSG_RESULT([${pinc:-unknown}])
       test -n "$pinc" && PYTHON_INCLUDES="-I$pinc"
       save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
Index: meep/doc/docs/setup.py
===================================================================
--- meep.orig/doc/docs/setup.py	2024-07-11 16:05:45.322598317 +0200
+++ meep/doc/docs/setup.py	2024-07-12 12:33:55.738158720 +0200
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-from distutils.core import setup
+from setuptools._distutils.core import setup
 
 setup(
     name="python-markdown-math",
Index: meep/python/visualization.py
===================================================================
--- meep.orig/python/visualization.py	2024-07-11 16:05:45.446598419 +0200
+++ meep/python/visualization.py	2024-07-12 12:34:20.298168920 +0200
@@ -1561,7 +1561,7 @@
         # modified from matplotlib/animation.py code.
 
         # Only works with Python3 and matplotlib > 3.1.0
-        from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+        from setuptools._distutils.version import LooseVersion
         import matplotlib
 
         if LooseVersion(matplotlib.__version__) < LooseVersion("3.1.0"):