Dockerfile build fails to uninstall 'packaging' distutils

[brooke-hamilton]

Bug information

Steps to reproduce (required)

1. Run the Test Samples (K3D) workflow. The workflow triggers a Dockerfile build in samples/volumes/Dockerfile.
2. The build step executes RUN python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel && python3 -m pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt on an Alpine Python image.

Observed behavior (required)

• The build fails with the following error:

ERROR: Cannot uninstall 'packaging'. It is a distutils installed project and thus we cannot accurately determine which files belong to it which would lead to only a partial uninstall.
ERROR: process "/bin/sh -c python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel     && python3 -m pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt" did not complete successfully: exit code: 1

• This error originates from the existing packaging distutils project in the image. Pip cannot uninstall it cleanly.
• The failure is traced to this line in the Dockerfile:

RUN python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel 
    && python3 -m pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt

Desired behavior (required)

• The Docker image build and all workflow steps should complete successfully.

Workaround (optional)

• Use a Python base image that does not have distutils-preinstalled packages or
• Specify --ignore-installed for pip, or
• Update the Dockerfile step to check for an existing installation and avoid upgrading/distutils uninstall.

Suggested fix

• Consider switching to a Python official base image (e.g. python:3.10-alpine instead of alpine:3.14) which installs packages cleanly via pip.
• Alternatively, update the Dockerfile to explicitly install packaging before upgrading pip, or use --ignore-installed with pip install.
• See the logs in Workflow Run 21015933695/job/63031933365 for context.

System information

rad Version (required)

Operating system (required)

Additional context

• Dockerfile: samples/volumes/Dockerfile
• Workflow failure logs: Workflow Run 21015933695/job/63031933365
• Error details: See above.

AB#18169

[brooke-hamilton]

Related to #2482