Remove dependency on setuptools

[parthea]

We should consider removing setuptools as a dependency and drop usage of distutils and pkg_resources to align with other google-cloud-* python packages where setuptools is not declared as a dependency.

python-aiplatform/setup.py

Line 186 in 755c3f9

"setuptools; python_version >= '3.12'",

• For distutils,
  Aside from tests, distutils is only needed in google/cloud/aiplatform/utils/prediction_utils.py. We could migrate from distutils.dir_util to shutil.copytree
  

  python-aiplatform/google/cloud/aiplatform/utils/prediction_utils.py

  Line 18 in dcb6205

  import distutils.dir_util

• For pkg_resources,
  Aside from tests, pkg_resources is only needed in google/cloud/aiplatform/initializer.py. We could migrate to use google.cloud.aiplatform.__version__ instead of pkg_resources.get_distribution("google-cloud-aiplatform").version
  

  python-aiplatform/google/cloud/aiplatform/initializer.py

  Lines 424 to 426 in dcb6205

  	gapic_version = pkg_resources.get_distribution(
  	"google-cloud-aiplatform",
  	).version

[kitokirti]

Hi @parthea , please assign this to me.

[kitokirti]

Hi @parthea, we would require to remove the dependency of setuptools, as well as would need to migrate the distutils and pkg_resources in only those files which are mentioned in the PR.
Please clarify.

[parthea]

The run time dependency on setuptools can be removed as long as there is no usage of pkg_resources or distutils in this repository.

[kitokirti]

What would be the testing scenarios we are looking for?

[parthea]

There are presubmits which run once the PR reviewed. To run the presubmits locally, use nox.

[kitokirti]

Thanks!

[TheKevJames]

I have #2419 open to solve the pkg_resources case, as well. Using __version__ directly would also work, if y'all prefer! I went with the importlib approach instead. Feel free to steal my PR / merge it with your changes / delete it and do it differently / whatever!

[parthea]

Thanks @TheKevJames ! I added a few comments and assigned the PR to folks that will be reviewing.