Building Python Wheel without internet connection

It's possible you're really just missing setuptools, but especially for containers where I get all the dependencies I need in advance, I've had success using --no-isolation https://pypi.org/project/build/

build will then directly use dependencies from the host (in my case the container environment, in yours the VM), rather than first creating a venv, which is normally done to isolate the build from the host and may always try to get a fresh setuptools by-design

python3 -m build --no-isolation

If you're using pip what does no-build-isolation do?

pip install --verbose --no-build-isolation --editable ./path

There is real practicality to this design choice, for example it allows older packages to build with a specific version of setuptools, rather than arguing with whatever happens to be installed in the host (and may be a runtime dependency of other installed packages!) https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/reference/build-system/#build-isolation .. but it's both a surprising nuisance when you're offline and always extends the build time by that extra fetch and install process..