bpo-42802: Remove distutils bdist_wininst command (GH-24043)

The distutils bdist_wininst command deprecated in Python 3.8 has been
removed. The distutils bidst_wheel command is now recommended to
distribute binary packages on Windows.

* Remove Lib/distutils/command/bdist_wininst.py
* Remove PC/bdist_wininst/ project
* Remove Lib/distutils/command/wininst-*.exe programs
* Remove all references to bdist_wininst

4 files changed, 2 insertions, 114 deletions

diff --git a/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst b/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
index b14197c2f9..6c69c11cca 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/apiref.rst
@@ -1862,11 +1862,6 @@ Subclasses of :class:`Command` must define the following methods.
 
    .. _Windows Installer: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc185688(VS.85).aspx
 
-   In most cases, the ``bdist_msi`` installer is a better choice than the
-   ``bdist_wininst`` installer, because it provides better support for
-   Win64 platforms, allows administrators to perform non-interactive
-   installations, and allows installation through group policies.
-
 
 :mod:`distutils.command.bdist_rpm` --- Build a binary distribution as a Redhat RPM and SRPM
 ===========================================================================================
@@ -1878,19 +1873,6 @@ Subclasses of :class:`Command` must define the following methods.
 .. % todo
 
 
-:mod:`distutils.command.bdist_wininst` --- Build a Windows installer
-====================================================================
-
-.. module:: distutils.command.bdist_wininst
-   :synopsis: Build a Windows installer
-
-.. deprecated:: 3.8
-   Use bdist_wheel (wheel packages) instead.
-
-
-.. % todo
-
-
 :mod:`distutils.command.sdist` --- Build a source distribution
 ==============================================================
 
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
index e032c03e22..c4409aca28 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ The available formats for built distributions are:
 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+
 | ``sdux``    | HP-UX :program:`swinstall`   |         |
 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+
-| ``wininst`` | self-extracting ZIP file for | \(4)    |
-|             | Windows                      |         |
-+-------------+------------------------------+---------+
 | ``msi``     | Microsoft Installer.         |         |
 +-------------+------------------------------+---------+
 
@@ -141,15 +138,10 @@ generated by each, are:
 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
 | :command:`bdist_rpm`     | rpm, srpm                           |
 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
-| :command:`bdist_wininst` | wininst                             |
-+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
 | :command:`bdist_msi`     | msi                                 |
 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
 
 .. note::
-   bdist_wininst is deprecated since Python 3.8.
-
-.. note::
    bdist_msi is deprecated since Python 3.9.
 
 The following sections give details on the individual :command:`bdist_\*`
@@ -190,8 +182,7 @@ The former allows you to specify RPM-specific options; the latter allows  you to
 easily specify multiple formats in one run.  If you need to do both, you can
 explicitly specify multiple :command:`bdist_\*` commands and their options::
 
-   python setup.py bdist_rpm --packager="John Doe <jdoe@example.org>" \
-                   bdist_wininst --target-version="2.0"
+   python setup.py bdist_rpm --packager="John Doe <jdoe@example.org>"
 
 Creating RPM packages is driven by a :file:`.spec` file, much as using the
 Distutils is driven by the setup script.  To make your life easier, the
@@ -299,61 +290,6 @@ file winds up deep in the "build tree," in a temporary directory created by
 .. % to the \file{.spec} file.)
 
 
-.. _creating-wininst:
-
-Creating Windows Installers
-===========================
-
-.. warning::
-   bdist_wininst is deprecated since Python 3.8.
-
-.. warning::
-   bdist_msi is deprecated since Python 3.9.
-
-Executable installers are the natural format for binary distributions on
-Windows.  They display a nice graphical user interface, display some information
-about the module distribution to be installed taken from the metadata in the
-setup script, let the user select a few options, and start or cancel the
-installation.
-
-Since the metadata is taken from the setup script, creating Windows installers
-is usually as easy as running::
-
-   python setup.py bdist_wininst
-
-or the :command:`bdist` command with the :option:`!--formats` option::
-
-   python setup.py bdist --formats=wininst
-
-If you have a pure module distribution (only containing pure Python modules and
-packages), the resulting installer will be version independent and have a name
-like :file:`foo-1.0.win32.exe`. Note that creating ``wininst`` binary
-distributions in only supported on Windows systems.
-
-If you have a non-pure distribution, the extensions can only be created on a
-Windows platform, and will be Python version dependent. The installer filename
-will reflect this and now has the form :file:`foo-1.0.win32-py2.0.exe`.  You
-have to create a separate installer for every Python version you want to
-support.
-
-The installer will try to compile pure modules into :term:`bytecode` after installation
-on the target system in normal and optimizing mode.  If you don't want this to
-happen for some reason, you can run the :command:`bdist_wininst` command with
-the :option:`!--no-target-compile` and/or the :option:`!--no-target-optimize`
-option.
-
-By default the installer will display the cool "Python Powered" logo when it is
-run, but you can also supply your own 152x261 bitmap which must be a Windows
-:file:`.bmp` file with the :option:`!--bitmap` option.
-
-The installer will also display a large title on the desktop background window
-when it is run, which is constructed from the name of your distribution and the
-version number.  This can be changed to another text by using the
-:option:`!--title` option.
-
-The installer file will be written to the "distribution directory" --- normally
-:file:`dist/`, but customizable with the :option:`!--dist-dir` option.
-
 .. _cross-compile-windows:
 
 Cross-compiling on Windows
@@ -370,10 +306,7 @@ For example, on a 32bit version of Windows, you could execute::
 
    python setup.py build --plat-name=win-amd64
 
-to build a 64bit version of your extension.  The Windows Installers also
-support this option, so the command::
-
-   python setup.py build --plat-name=win-amd64 bdist_wininst
+to build a 64bit version of your extension.
 
 would create a 64bit installation executable on your 32bit version of Windows.
 
@@ -462,18 +395,3 @@ built-in functions in the installation script.
    and *iconindex* is the index of the icon in the file *iconpath*.  Again, for
    details consult the Microsoft documentation for the :class:`IShellLink`
    interface.
-
-
-Vista User Access Control (UAC)
-===============================
-
-Starting with Python 2.6, bdist_wininst supports a :option:`!--user-access-control`
-option.  The default is 'none' (meaning no UAC handling is done), and other
-valid values are 'auto' (meaning prompt for UAC elevation if Python was
-installed for all users) and 'force' (meaning always prompt for elevation).
-
-.. note::
-   bdist_wininst is deprecated since Python 3.8.
-
-.. note::
-   bdist_msi is deprecated since Python 3.9.
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst b/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
index 0f6fe2aba8..3e247e68d3 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/commandref.rst
@@ -101,6 +101,5 @@ anything except backslash or colon.
 .. % \subsection{\protect\command{bdist}}
 .. % \subsection{\protect\command{bdist\_dumb}}
 .. % \subsection{\protect\command{bdist\_rpm}}
-.. % \subsection{\protect\command{bdist\_wininst}}
 
 
diff --git a/Doc/distutils/introduction.rst b/Doc/distutils/introduction.rst
index 1f8a560e13..87ed178e52 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/introduction.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/introduction.rst
@@ -112,17 +112,6 @@ the setup script.  The difference is which Distutils *commands* they use: the
 :command:`install` is more often for installers (although most developers will
 want to install their own code occasionally).
 
-If you want to make things really easy for your users, you can create one or
-more built distributions for them.  For instance, if you are running on a
-Windows machine, and want to make things easy for other Windows users, you can
-create an executable installer (the most appropriate type of built distribution
-for this platform) with the :command:`bdist_wininst` command.  For example::
-
-   python setup.py bdist_wininst
-
-will create an executable installer, :file:`foo-1.0.win32.exe`, in the current
-directory.
-
 Other useful built distribution formats are RPM, implemented by the
 :command:`bdist_rpm` command, Solaris :program:`pkgtool`
 (:command:`bdist_pkgtool`), and HP-UX :program:`swinstall`